Pokeshipping 2016
by Jysella
Summary: A collection of hopefully seven one-shots based on the themes of 2016's pokeshipping week. Rating is mostly due to language used and not situations
1. Alola

A/N: Pokeshipping 2016...I umm...had no idea where this one was going and that's kinda where I am with all of the themes this week...also dying of the plague so I may or may not make it through them all...enjoy?

Alola

* * *

"Dear Ms. Waterflower,

Thank you for your recent application to the Water Pokémon Fund. The decision making process was a difficult one, with many worthwhile organizations vying for a limited amount of grant dollars.

Unfortunately…"

Misty skims the rest of the letter, groaning and dropping her head to her hands as she reads yet another rejection. It had been a hard year. A hard few years. Gyms just aren't the money makers they used to be. And honestly, they were never good for much beyond basic needs...but now…

Now it was more a game of which checks they could afford to bounce.

Looking at the pile on her floor, Misty sighs. None. This month, the answer is none...

"Misty, like, phone…" Daisy's voice trails down the hall.

Misty cringes. "I'll get it in here." She replies, voice muffled in her arms.

Her sisters aren't helping much either. They want to turn the gym into a contest hall and Misty...isn't entirely against the idea. She's tired of the gym and despite their attempts, her sisters will never be battlers. They are fantastic coordinators though.

And a small grant is all she'd need to make the necessary changes.

If only she could get one.

Misty groans again and drops her face to the desk, the cool surface more relaxing then the heat of her arms.

"Like, Misty?"

Daisy again, what could she want? Misty offers a dignified "mgmf" in response.

"Were you going to get the phone?"

Misty's eyes widen and she scrambles up, calling up the phones vid screen and losing her balance in the process. She hits the floor just as the image resolves and the laughing voice of Ash Ketchum fills her room.

"Laugh it up, Pallet Town" Misty grumbles, stumbling to her feet. She reaches up to grab something, anything, for support and succeeds only in pulling a pile of papers down onto her head. She sighs, lying on her back as it rains rejection letters and waits for Ash to stop laughing.

When five minutes pass and his laughter hasn't even slowed, Misty pulls herself into view of the phone, only slipping once on some loose papers, and glares.

Ash's laughter stops suddenly, swallowed in a frighted gulp. "Hi, Misty." he whimpers, voice cracking on her name.

"Ash." she responds, mouth set in a line. "Two calls in one year? My, don't I feel special."

"Oh, come on, Mist. I'm not that bad"

"Mhm." Misty nods, dragging a chair over so that she's not awkwardly standing in front of the screen."

"I called you at least twice from Unova."

Pikachu bounds into frame from behind him and _kaa_ 's, smacking him with his tail. Ash bats him away. Claiming that he "did so call twice."

Misty laughs, drawing his attention away from his misbehaving pokémon. "Nope. You called me once and then you called Delia once when I was visiting."

"Oh. Right, you're friends with Mom." He looks away when she mentions his mother, glancing to the side. Pikachu looks down as well, sad almost.

"Yeah...how is Delia?"

"...fine…" Ash responds, voice lilting up confusedly.

"Yeah?"

"Just great….anyway….it was great talking with you, Mist, but..."

"Not so fast, Ketchum. What's up?"

"Up? Nothing's up. Why would you think anything is up?"

Misty rolls her eyes and huffs out a sigh. Ash looks away, studiously glancing any direction but hers. She waits and eventually, Ash meets her eyes and smiles, shaking his head.

"So what's going on?"

"A lot. Too much to talk about on the phone."

"Well that's too bad, Ash. Last I checked, you were in Kalos. That's a little far for the train."

"Are you spying on me, Ms. Waterflower?"

Misty sighs, blowing a stream of air past her bangs. They float briefly before falling back to her head. "As if I have the time."

"Is it that bad?"

"No." Misty says automatically, the words popping out before she's even thought them through.

Ash smiles back at her, a devious grin that Misty knows means trouble no matter how innocent his next request seems. She swallows hard and cuts in with an, "Oh, hush Ketchum. I'll work it out."

"I know you will, Misty." Ash's smile falls. "You always do." He takes his hat off his head and worries it in his hands until Pikachu pushes the hat out of the way to stop it from being damaged. It's unusual for Ash but Misty has seen it before when he wanted to ask something that he wasn't sure would be accepted. Misty swallows again, what could he possibly have to ask her that would get this kind of reaction.

"Ash..." Misty starts.

Pikachu cuts her off with a string of chatter that has Ash looking away from the screen, a blush filling his face. "I know, Pikachu." He swats at the mouse pokémon who shocks him in response. Misty smiles. It's almost normal...still…"Hey, Misty? Come visit me in Pallet? I'm home after the league." He swallows and looks away again, only turning back when Pikachu chatters at him angrily, cheeks sparking. "We can talk. In person?"

Misty blinks. That is entirely too reasonable a request to have caused Ash that much hesitation. Still, it has been forever since she's had a day off and longer still since she's seen Ash. "When?" Misty asks, bringing up her calendar. She's pretty sure she has a free day sometime next month. Maybe. If Daisy hasn't taken that modeling job.

"Tonight." Ash replies, Pikachuing _chuu_ ing in backup.

Misty groans, dropping her calendar. "Ash, I can't just drop everything. I have…"

"Gym battles and grant applications." Ash cuts her off.

Misty's mouth falls open. "How did you?"

"Professor Oak mentioned it. He wants you to stop by his lab by the way. Something about a research grant…"

"WHAT?" Misty shouts, standing before the screen. In her haste she knocks her chair and yet another stack of papers from her desk, carpeting her floor in bills and rejections. Somewhere below her, one of her sisters darts of the stairs, worried at her scream and the crash to the floor.

Ash cringes. "You should have gotten a telegram…" he offers, voice mareepish even though Misty can't see his face. Pikachu _chuu_ 's at him and Misty can hear his shrug. "Oh...I must have beaten it...time lag and all…"

Misty is just getting up to question Ash when Daisy's voice filters up the stairs calling her name. Misty huffs out a sigh and pulls herself to her feet. She glares at the phone, holding up a hand with her pointer finger outstretched as though demanding that Ash stay put, before darting to the door.

"I'm okay, Daisy." she shouts.

"If you, like, say so." Daisy's voice returns, skepticism practically dripping from it. MIsty turns back from the door to go back to the vidscreen when a bell fills the gym. She pauses, breath held and waiting for Daisy to call back up about another gym battle, and one she'd better win. They can't afford to pay out a prize. "Hey Misty…" Daisy calls.

"Coming…" Misty replies, already turning back to end the conversation with Ash. "You can lead the challenger to the…"

"No, Misty. It was, like, a telegram."

"A telegram?" Misty is puzzled. Hardly anyone uses telegrams anymore, preferring to use bird pokémon for urgent letters. Out of the corner of her eye she can see Ash smiling smugly. She groans. "What does it say?"

There's a pause and then, "it's an invitation to apply in person tomorrow for a research position with stipend at Oak Labs."

Misty blinks.

Misty takes a deep breath.

Misty clenches her hands in fists to keep from screaming.

She glares at Ash who only laughs and says that he'll, "see you in Pallet then." before hanging up and leaving Misty alone in her room to scramble to pack and get on the next train. The next train that leaves in...30 minutes. Despite the time constraints Misty takes a moment to bang her head against the wall and groan before furiously pulling clothes from her drawers.

The train had been early and Misty, running late as usual, had sprinted the last few blocks to the station. She's tired and breathing heavily but she's on the train. The glass is cool against her forehead and she sighs out in relief, closing her eyes for a few moments until she remembers why she's on the train. Or rather, remembers that she barely knows why she had made the sprint. Ash had seemed worried or...upset maybe...when she'd brought up his mother. And then there was this position, Misty couldn't remember having applied for a research position at Oak Labs or even having seen one open up. Not that she'd have applied, she wasn't really a researcher of anything but water pokémon. And even that had fallen by the wayside in the past year with all of the struggle just to keep the gym open. Still, research positions were highly coveted and rarely came with anything of a stipend. Typically, researchers battled to make ends meet. A position with a stipend was practically a shiny and to be offered a chance to apply...rarer still. Something was up but Misty wasn't going to look a gift ponyta in the mouth especially now with her last grant a rejection. She was going to have to apply for loans next and that would just be putting off the inevitable: she'd never be able to repay them.

Breathing out slowly, she's jarred from her thought by the train pulling into the station. It stops short, typical for late hour, and Misty lurches forward smacking her head on the seat before her.

She rubs her forehead and grabs her bags with a bump beginning to form.

Great: an amazing opportunity falls into her lap and she is going to look like some klutz. Oh well, she's never have gotten the position anyway. Oak is way too well known and she's….just a gym leader.

She steps off the train and breathes in deeply, clean country air filling her lungs. At least Pallet doesn't change. It always so...quaint and quiet. Bag on her back she starts down the familiar path to a home she knows as well as her own and nearly falls as a yellow blur runs underfoot. And stops.

Pikachu turns and stares at her, lowering an ear in question. Misty nods and Pikachu _pika'_ s happily, jumping into her arms.

Misty laughs and catches him, holding the electric mouse as he nuzzles her arms.

"Where's your owner, buddy?" she asks, stroking his back. Pikachu's ear tips and seconds later a familiar voice calls, "Pikachu, slow down."

Pikachu _kaa_ 's back indignantly and Misty muffles a laugh in his fur.

"We've got a whole minute before the train's supposed to pull in," the voice returns. Misty buries her face further, a smile threatening to break. It's not just Pallet that doesn't change. She steps off the path just in time to see and a black and blue and white blur bound past her and down the path.

"Do you think he noticed, Pikachu?" Pikachu _kaa_ 's back and Misty laughs, starting down the path towards Ash's house. She makes it maybe three steps before something slams into her from behind sending her sprawling.

"I'm so sorry, Miss." A familiar voice starts, grunting as he picks himself up and dusts his legs. "I was meeting my friend at the train and I was late and she…" He looks at her for the first time since smacking into her and blinks. "Is you…"

"Hi, Ash." Misty grimaces from the ground, reaching a hand up.

Ash laughs and pulls her to her feet. "Hi, Misty." He grabs her bag and slings it across his shoulders.

Delia's kitchen is just how Misty remembers it: cozy and bright. And warm. Her kitchen is always warm. When she and Delia had first become...friends…it had always surprised Misty how warm the room was. Most of the gym was cold, even the living quarters. And Misty's own kitchen was barely touched. It was more a repository of frozen meals and cereal then a place to linger. But Delia's kitchen...it was...the center of her home. Even when the older woman had no one to cook for, it was still the warmest place in the house.

Strangely though, when they enter, Delia's not in the kitchen. Misty looks at Ash, eyebrow raised in question, but he shrugs.

"Hey, Ma, "he shouts. "I'm home."

"Ash, you had better not be tracking mud all over my clean floor." Delia calls back from the other room. Something clinks against wood and Misty smiles. She must be cleaning.

Ash looks at his feet and smiles sheepishly. His shoes are caked in dried mud. He sighs and puts Pikachu down. "I'll be right back." he whispers, and steps back out through the door. The sound of him stomping his feet fills the kitchen and Misty can hear Delia sigh from the next room.

"Now what has that boy done." the older woman wonders, walking into the kitchen. She's reaching to put something, a newspaper maybe, down on the table when her eyes catch sight of Misty. She breaks into a grin.

"Misty!" Delia squeals, crossing the kitchen to catch Misty in a hug before she can object. Not that she would object. Just...when had Delia learned teleport?

"Hi, Ms. K." Misty whispers, still crushed in Delia's arms.

"Oh Misty, for the hundredth time, call me Delia." She lets go of Misty and holds her at arm's length. "Now let me get a good look at you. It's been ages since you've visited."

Misty squirms in her arms and smiles. "Only a few months." Outside the kitchen, the banging stops and the quiet sound of fabric rustling comes through the door.

"You're so thin. What are those sisters of yours feeding you?" Delia exclaims, tutting her tongue. She lets go of Misty and turns to the door just as her son walks back in. "And you, mister." She rounds on him, swatting him with a rolled paper. "You should tell me when you're bringing your little girlfriend over. I would have had dinner ready."

"Oh we're not…" Misty starts but is heard by neither Ash nor his mother as they start a brief paper battle.

Ash's hands are raised to catch the paper and though he's flushing, he says nothing to refute his mother's words. Delia swats his face and bops his head before Ash is able to take the paper from her, He swats at her but misses by a wide margin leaving the two laughing like children.

Misty smiles wryly watching the scene before her. It's sweet, really, how they interact. If she'd tried that with her sisters it would have turned into a full on battle and probably moved to the gym for settling. She shakes her head of the thought and raises an eyebrow at Ash who flushes in response.

"She surprised me too, Ma." Ash intones, scratching his nose and stealing a bite of whatever it is that his mother is stirring. She swats at him again and he smiles. "She took the early train."

"Mhm" Delia hums, adding a pinch of something else to her meal, "And probably skipped dinner to do it."

"I don't usually eat dinner…" Misty trails off, hands raised in defense at the truly aghast look that Delia shoots her way.

"Well there'll be no more of that. I'm so glad Samuel was able to convince you to come to Alola with us. And to think, if Ash hadn't suggested you, he'd have sent Gary."

Misty blinks and looks over at Ash who is frantically trying to get his mother's attention, crossing his hand over is neck in a clear attempt to tell her to stop. Delia doesn't even glance at him, instead using Misty's shock as an opportunity to hug her again.

"I mean," Delia begins again, releasing Misty, "can you imagine living with both of those boys under one roof? They'd have torn the house apart. Not to mention…"

"Mom." Ash cuts her off firmly.

"I was talking, Ashy, it's very rude to interrupt."

"We talked about this, Ma. Misty hasn't talked to Professor Oak yet."

Misty whirls towards Ash, shock finally having filtered to something akin to anger. "Want to explain, Ash?" she hisses, tone as icy as she can make it.

Ash laughs as he always does when frightened and backs slowly towards his mother. Pikachu jumps from his shoulder and scampers behind his leg, _kaa_ ing in fear.

"Oh." Delia murmurs, "I think that you might be in trouble, Ash."

Ash swallows hard. "You see, Misty…"

"No, I don't see, Ash."

Ash laughs again, grabbing his mother's arm to use as a shield.

Misty takes a step closer.

Delia claps her hands and both Ash and Misty jump, surprised by the sudden sound.

"Killing each other won't solve anything…" Delia begins only to be cut off by a dark murmur from Misty. She glares at the girl. "I will have none of that under my roof. Now, Ash, take Misty into the other room and explain what you can. I am going to call Samuel and we'll get this whole thing settled tonight."

Neither Ash nor Misty moves. Delia smiles, a cold grin that Ash knows means trouble will follow. "I said now."

Ash swallows hard and walks away from his mother towards the other room, grabbing Misty's hand on the way. Together they sit on the couch, silently. A few moments pass and neither of them have said a word. Misty looks towards Ash, trying to catch his eyes but he ignores her, eyes locked on some distant location in front of himself.

"I don't hear any talking." Delia practically sings from the kitchen.

Ash swallows hard and finally turns towards Misty. "Sorry," he whispers.

Misty blinks, of all of the responses she'd expected, an apology hadn't exactly topped her list. "For what? For not calling me for almost a year? For dragging me from my home without any explanation and just assuming I'd go with it? For making plans for my future without consulting me? Or maybe just for eating half of my meals for the better part of three years?"

"Yes." Ash replies, looking away again. "Except the meal thing. I was a growing boy."

"And I wasn't growing?"

"Well you haven't grown much."

"Jerk." Misty throws one of the cushions at him and it sprawls into an all-out pillow fight that only ends when one of them accidentally hits Pikachu leading to a not quite painful shock. "Seriously, though." Misty says once she's finally stopped laughing. "What's going on?"

Ash's smile sobers almost instantly. "I just wanted to travel together again." He whispers. "I didn't mean for everything to get so...complicated…"

Misty sighs, a deep breath that blows her bangs from her face. "It is complicated, though, Ash. We're not kids anymore. I've got the gym and….It's been nearly 3 years since I've traveled anywhere."

"We're only sixteen, that's not exactly grown up." Ash replies sullenly.

Misty throws a pillow at him again and Ash smiles. "Ok." she says. "No, we're not grown up. But the gym?"

"Come on, Misty. All you ever talk about is how tired of the gym you are and how much you want to turn it into a contest hall so your sisters can take over."

"I hadn't realized you actually listened to me."

"You're my best friend." Ash nudges her shoulder with his own sending her rocking. "Of course I listen."

Misty's face grows warm and she's sure that she's blushing at Ash's reply. "OK then, best friend, how does Alola fit into that all? And Gary Oak and your mother?"

"I believe I can shed some light on that." A new voice comes from the kitchen. Ash's face breaks into a wide grin.

"Professor Oak!" He exclaims, words underscored by an excited _pika_.

"Hello, Ash. Pikachu." the old professor replies, walking into the room. "Misty." he adds nodding to her. "So, from what Delia explained on the phone, I guess some explanations are in order?"

Misty nods. "It'd be nice."

"Mmm." the Professor hums. "But where to start…."

"Start with Alola." Delia calls from the kitchen.

"Ah, Alola." The Professor nods. "Yes, well. I and many other researches have long wanted to get into Alola to study it but they do not allow researchers."

"I thought they didn't allow anybody." Misty chimes in. Ash shoots her a glance and she blushes. "What? It's a region filled with new water pokémon. I would kill to visit there."

"Right, well that shouldn't be necessary." Professor Oak smiles. "They do let some people in. Families who wish to move there."

"I wanted to go." Ash cuts in. "And Mom said she'd go with me. So…we're moving to Alola."

"You're moving to Alola?" Misty whispers hoarsely. Ash nods and Misty hits him with another pillow. "And just when were you going to tell me?"

"Now," Ash replies, attempting to pull the pillow from Misty's grasp. "I'm telling you now." Misty hits Ash one last before he manages to get a hand on it. Ash pulls the pillow towards him and Misty goes with it, ending up sprawled in Ash's lap and laughing hysterically along with him.

Suddenly Ash stops and reaches a hand out to brush some hair from Misty's blinks and blushes unsure what to say but is saved from having to make any response by Professor Oak coughing.

"So…" Misty says, settling herself upright. "Alola...what...ah...does that have to do with me or the grant you wrote me about?"

"Yeah, Professor," Ash chimes in, clearing his throat, "You haven't even gotten to the best part."

"With Ash and Delia going, I had an opportunity to send with them someone who would take a more...academic approach to the trip. I was going to send my grandson but…"

"Gary and I would kill each other."

"Yes, right, well...I came across some of your publications, Misty and some of your grant proposals-sorry about the Water Pokémon Fund proposal by the way, I thought that you were a strong candidate."

"You read that proposal?"

"I was on the committee." Professor Oak shakes his head, "It's a shame that they went with a more established researcher."

"Oh," Misty replies, hanging her head. "Why aren't you going with a more established researcher? Or going yourself."

Professor Oak smiles at her, kindly. "I have too much to leave at my labs and Alola will only take families...I couldn't send a more established researcher if I wanted to...not unless they married Delia."

Beside Misty, Ash gags and groans something that sounds suspiciously like calling the Professor gross.

Misty rolls her eyes at him and laughs. "Don't be a child, Ash."

He sticks out his tongue and she grins.

"So, what do you say? Misty?" Professor Oak asks.

"Questions," Misty responds. "I have questions."

"I wouldn't expect anything else." He replies.

"The stipend?"

"Well," Professor Oak begins only to be cut off by an excited _kaa_ from Pikachu.

"Right, Misty, that's the best part!" Ash cuts in, grabbing Misty's hand. "The league will take over the gym and help your sisters turn it into a contest hall."

Misty raises an eyebrow at him and, without letting go of his hand, turns back to the Professor who nods. "Why?" she asks.

"The pokémon league owes me a few favors, and Cerulean City does have another gym. Other questions?"

"Where would I live?"

"Oh, that one's easy." Delia walks into the room carrying a few bowls of soup. "With me and Ash, of course."

Misty looks towards the Professor who nods in agreement.

"They only let families in, Mist."

"Ok," Misty swallows hard. "So what? I go in as Ash's sister?" she looks down at their hands, and then back up, meeting Ash's eyes.

He looks away and drops her hand. "Is that what it means, Professor?"

"Not necessarily." He replies, sharing a smile with Delia. "You'd be registered in the school with different last names. You could just be…" He trails off, glancing at Delia.

"Close family friends." Delia finishes firmly.

Ash and Misty both nod and then freeze at nearly the same moment.

"School?" Misty asks, voice echoed by Ash's own.

"The Alolan system is...different." Professor Oak says, eyes crinkling.

"Different how?" Ash asks, cautiously.

"Well…" The professor starts, stalled by twin glares.

"You'd have to go to school." Delia cuts in. "And train and travel on the weekends."

Ash and Misty turn to one another once more, silence filling the room. A silence Misty breaks in a quiet voice.

"Professor," she says, "I haven't been in school since I was ten…"

"Yes well," The Professor responds, reaching over to pat Misty's arm comfortingly, "The Alolan people wouldn't consider you or Ash to be old enough to be on your own."

Misty blinks, "Ok." She says, eyes roving as though reading from a page. "Let me see if I understand this. You're offering me a chance to go to Alola with Ash and Ms. K while you take care of the gym?"

Professor Oak opens his mouth to protest but Misty holds up a hand. "I mean," She says. "While The League helps my sisters to create a contest hall? But...Ms. K would be in charge of me?" Both Delia and the Professor nod. "And we might have….homework? And tests again?" Another nod. "What do you get out of this, Professor Oak?"

He shrugs. "I'd hope you'd send me information on any new Pokémon discovered with a focus on new water types. Of course, you would be listed as an author on any publication coming out of it. You would be the Kanto authority on Alola water pokémon."

Misty blinks. "OK," she nods, looking towards Ash. "What do you think, Ketchum?"

"Well," he whispers, "Do you want to go on another adventure with me?"

"I don't know…" Misty replies, "Does that mean you're going to destroy my bike again?"

"Does that mean you'll do it?" Ash asks.

Misty nods. "Yeah. I'll do it. Let's...go to Alola." whatever else she might say is cut off by a crushing hug from an excited Ash and ecstatic Delia. Misty swallows, hard.

Alola. What in the world has she gotten herself into now?


	2. Tracey Never Joined

A/N: Day 2, still crazy sick..so...the writing and characters are a little off...but...it is up...also...really, over 4k words? that's it...from now on it's drabbles

Tracey Never Joined

* * *

Ash blinks, sitting up in sand and sun, and shakes his head. Sand flies and Ash blinks again.

Where?

The sun shines harshly and he moves his arm to block the light only to find his hand weighed down by...something….yellow?

"Pikachu?" he asks aloud, coughing towards the end of the word. His throat feels dry like it's full of smoke and dust…

But why?

Arceus, his eyes shoot open wide. The blimp...they'd crashed…

"Pikachu?" he calls again, heart beating wildly. "Misty?"

A weak _kaa_ and groan settle his heart.

"What happened?" Misty asks, sitting up beside him. She clutches her head and squints out towards the ocean. "Where's the blimp?"

Ash shrugs and Pikachu offers a string of tired chatter. Ash nods. "It crashed, I guess. Are you ok?"

Misty looks Togepi over and then herself, stretching out her arms and legs as though looking for breaks or bruises. "Seems so. Are you ok?"

Ash and Pikachu look at each other briefly before nodding back. "Now what?"

Misty stands and offers a hand to ash. "I guess we walk."

Ash lets her pull him up, grabbing Pikachu to his shoulder as he does. "Wonder where we are?" he asks.

Misty shrugs and the two of them walk into the forest sure that they will find something soon.

Hours later both are questioning the decision.

"Arceus, Ash." Misty moans dropping to her knees. "What if this Island's deserted? Are we going to have to eat twigs and berries for the rest of our lives?"

"We'll find something," Ash sighs, pulling Misty to her feet. "And if not...berries are really...nutritious?" he shrugs.

Misty opens her mouth to respond but is cut off by a hoard of tourists walking into the clearing where they've stopped. Before they can even object, the tourists pull Pikachu and Togepi from Ash and Misty and take enough photos to block the sun. Then, as quickly as they'd arrived, the tourists move on.

"What...just happened?" Misty asks.

Ash shrugs. "I guess we don't have to eat twigs for the rest of our lives?"

Misty huffs and walks away from him, stomping off in the direction the tourists had come from. She's met with a floral wreath, a warm welcome to Tangelo Island, and directions to the nearest pokémon center.

It's only a short walk down the beach. Of course, it's a short walk that fails to be so when they run into three men beating up a Lapras.

Ash sends Pikachu and Misty is a pulling out a pokeball to join when they're interrupted by an odd man claiming to be a pokémon watcher named Tracey. Tracey quickly sends away the three attackers via a series of insults lobbed at their pokémon.

"Who are you?" Misty asks in awe but Tracey is already running off after Nurse Joy, throwing pokémon medicine behind him. Misty catches it and raises an eyebrow at Ash who shrugs back.

"I guess you give it to Lapras?" he says.

Misty shrugs and gets in the water with the injured Pokémon. "Hey beautiful." She coos. The pokémon bumps her hand. "No lovely." Misty says again, quietly, holding the medicine to Lapras's face. The pokémon knocks it in the water and Misty groans. "Down I go." She whispers, diving down to get it. It's a cycle that repeats three more times before Nurse Joy arrives, but Misty does manage to get the medicine into Lapras and the pokémon is cooing at her when Nurse Joy arrives.

At the center, Nurse Joy immediately disappears to help the pokémon leaving Ash, Misty and Tracey staring at one another in the lobby.

"So…" Tracey starts, looking at the two of them. "How'd you two end up on Tangelo Island? Are you here to challenge the Orange Crew?"

"Orange Crew?" Misty asks.

"Mm." Tracey responds. "It's the gym leaders here...everyone calls them the Orange Crew. You have to beat them to enter the league."

Ash whips around to face Misty, his hands clasped in pleading gesture. Misty shakes her head. "Absolutely not, Ketchum. We need to get the GS Ball to Professor Oak."

"Oh come on, Mist. Professor Oak won't mind."

"No, he just won't be able to stop you."

"You two know Professor Oak?" Tracey practically screams.

Misty cringes and nods. "Why?"

"He's famous! There's not a pokémon watcher alive who wouldn't give a small body part to have their work reviewed by Professor Oak."

"Misty, I have a great idea."

"Oh I can't wait to hear this." Misty groans, rolling her eyes towards Pikachu. Pikachu _chuu_ 's back at her in agreement.

"Why doesn't Tracey bring the GS ball to Professor Oak? That way he can meet him and we can challenge the Orange Crew."

Ash pumps his fist in excitement and Misty shrugs. "You've had worse ideas…"

Tracey stares between the two of them, mouth agape. "You would trust me with a delivery for Professor Oak?"

"Sure, why not?" Misty replies as she watches Ash parade in a happy circle around the center lobby. "You helped with Lapras so...you're obviously OK."

Together they call Professor Oak who shrugs at them, claiming, "Well, I don't suppose anything I say can change Ash's mind."

Ash and Pikachu nod back at him while Misty sighs and Tracey flushes bright red.

"I won't let you down." Tracey shouts towards the screen.

Professor Oak cringes but smiles all the same. "No, I doubt you will. Not if Misty trusts you. Good luck with the Orange Crew and Tracey, I expect to see you soon."

Tracey leaves shortly thereafter and, after a brief but terrifying encounter with Team Rocket involving a bike chase and impromptu cliff dive, Ash and Misty leave as well armed with a guidebook and map courtesy of Nurse Joy.

Days later, exhausted and hungry they wash up on Miken Island and almost immediately run into the gym leader.

They must look a sight: slightly seasick, covered in drying salt and near burned from the sun out at sea. And yet, they're smiling glad to be on shore.

They're caught by the gym leader's younger brother. He's rigged up some sort of coconut trap which Ash, all too quickly, falls for.

The little brother challenges Ash to a fight, but Misty pushes him back to take on the battle. She's just selected her pokémon when the Gym leader comes out from behind some tree or another. She glances over the both of them, over Ash and Misty, and sighs.

"Tell me you two aren't here for a gym battle?" She asks.

Together, Ash and Misty nod.

The gym leader groans. "So what," She asks them, "Are you together?"

Misty and Ash glance at one another and blush, jumping apart quickly enough that Pikachu shocks them in annoyance.

"Why does everyone think that?" Ash asks in a cough as he helps Misty to her feet.

Misty stumbles to her feet and nearly falls once more, saved only by Ash putting an arm around her waist. She shrugs. "No idea."

The gym leader raises an eyebrow at both of them, "Really, you have no idea?"

Ash and Misty shake their heads in eerie sync.

"O...kay..." the Gym leader whistles. "I wasn't asking if you were together _together_."

"What are you asking, then?" Misty asks.

"She's asking, you slowpokes, if you're challenging the gym together." The gym leader's little brother laughs, rolling his eyes.

"What?" Ash asks.

The gym leader sighs. "Look, you kids must be new. We do things a little differently in the Orange Crew. Most gyms you can battle alone or together. Your choice"

"What about the League?" Ash asks.

The gym leader shrugs. "There's a team league and a solo one. So are you two together or what?"

Misty turns towards Ash, "It could be fun?" she whispers.

"Yeah. We've never worked together before."

"Together then?"

Ash nods and turns from her. "Hey, gym leader…"

"Cissy." The gym leader responds.

"Cissy, we'll challenge together."

"Be still my heart." Cissy scoffs. "Alright then...since you're both such little squirts, why don't we start it off with a water gun challenge?" Behind her, the gym leader's brother begins laughing but he quiets when she turns around to glare at him.

"A water gun challenge?" Misty asks.

Cissy sighs and rubs her temples. "Yes." She replies tersely. "A water gun challenge. In my gym, pokémon compete like athletes. So choose your best shooter and meet me by the pool." She turns around and stalks off, angrily muttering under her breath.

"Well," Ash breathes, turning to Misty with a tight smile. "At least...it's a water challenge?"

"I guess, but, Ash…what does she mean with a water gun challenge?"

"I don't know, but we can handle it." He grabs Misty's hand and squeezes it once. She smiles back.

"Touching as this moment is." The gym leader's brother cuts in. "My sister doesn't have all day so did you want to compete or just make eyes at each other?"

Ash and Misty jump apart from each other once more, blushing charmeleon red.

"We're ready." Misty chokes out and, marching an arms width apart, they follow the boy into the gym.

Somehow they win.

It's a blur of water guns and a tandem surfing race that has Misty nearly giving up the competition to save the gym leader's brother; but in the end they win.

Somehow.

Cissy doesn't even seem to believe it as she hands them the Coral-Eye Badge and her brother is sure that they've cheated.

Navel Island, when they finally reach it, one week and four adventures later, is intimidating. There's very little on the island save for a huge mountain and a quiet village.

Ash jumps down from Lapras the second they land on the beach and reaches a hand up to help Misty down. She barely glances at him, refusing to lift her eyes from the map even as she takes his hand.

"We should be in the right place." She sighs, pointing at a mark on the map. "Look, it's got the mountain and everything."

Ash squints at the map, tracing over Misty's finger with his own.

Misty blushes and pulls her hand away, leaving the map entirely in Ash's hands. He shrugs and scratches his nose-something Misty has only seen him do when nervous or embarrassed. He rolls the map up and calls Lapras back.

"If you say it's here, then the gym must be here." Ash says, grabbing Misty's hand. "Maybe someone in the town will know where it is."

"It's up the mountain." A male voice calls from the water. Ash and Misty turn around to find a tall man stepping off of a boat and walking towards them balancing a huge pack on his back. "The gym, it's up the mountain. I take it you're here to challenge it?"

Ash and Misty nod.

"I'm Misty." Misty says, moving to point to herself. She stops, mid gesture, her hand still held by Ash's. She swallows and drops Ash's hand. "And that's Ash."

"Misty," The man says, placing his pack on the ground. "What a lovely name matching such a lovely girl." He grabs her hand and raises it to his lips. "I'm Danny."

Ash steps up from beside Misty and pulls her hand back. "Are you challenging the gym leader too, Danny?" He asks.

Danny smiles. "In a way. Come. I'll show you the mountain." He steps ahead of them, lifting his pack once more, only to stop and smile over his shoulder at Misty. "You're in luck though, Misty. Only challengers have to climb the mountain. Everyone else can take a car up."

"Oh," Misty replies, wiping her hand on her shorts. "I'm challenging too...we both are."

"Well you are just full of surprises." Danny smiles, stopping in front of a large gate. "Well, here we are. The Navel Gym."

"So now what?" Ash asks.

Misty smacks his head. "You read, slowpoke."

Danny laughs. "You know," he says, "I can tell how close you two are."

"How so?" MIsty asks, suspiciously.

"Isn't there an old saying...you hurt the ones you love?"

Ash coughs suddenly and Misty turns to him. "You ok?"

He nods and swallows hard, "The Mountain." He points to the sign. "We have to go up without any help from our pokémon."

Misty looks up, craning her neck to the top and frowns. "Awesome."

"Hey," Ash grabs her chin and pulls it down, bringing her eyes to his. "We can do this, right?"

"Together?" Misty asks, bringing her hand up.

"Together." Ash affirms, grabbing her hand. On his shoulder, Pikachu _chuu_ 's in agreement and Togepi coos along.

"I guess all three of us are going up then."

The climb is a tough one, and cold. They are hardly halfway up when Misty begins shivering. Danny reaches into his pack to hand her a blanket but Ash beats him to it, handing her his jacket.

"Thanks, Ketchum." Misty whispers, shrugging it over her shoulders.

Ash looks the other way and huffs out a breath that crystallizes in the frozen air. "I wouldn't have to hand over my jacket if you'd wear something warmer."

"Mhm," Misty agrees, offering a hand over a rock. "But then what would you stare at when you thought I wasn't looking."

Ash swallows mid breath and chokes, slipping on a rock he is climbing over. He reaches to his belt to call a pokémon to help him when Danny interjects a quiet reminder of the challenge. Ash freezes mid fall and lands on his back a few feet down. Misty is beside him in moments, helping him up. Ash leans on her and together they reach the mountaintop.

"Hey, thanks man." Ash calls to Danny as they stop in front of two geysers.

"No worries," Danny replies, setting his pack down once more.

"Now what?" Ash asks.

Misty sighs. "I don't know, let's ask the gym leader."

"Gym leader?"

Misty takes a deep breath and rubs her eye slowly. "Yes, Danny."

"Danny's the gym leader?"

Misty lets her arm fall from Ash's waist and he teeters without her support. She breathes out slowly through her teeth and looks up at Danny. "Don't hold his….him...against me?"

Danny chuckles. "Wouldn't dream of it. Whoever wins the next two out of three challenges wins them all, sound good?"

"Good." Ash agrees.

"Not good." Misty says. "What are the challenges?"

"See, you're not just a pretty face. I like the way you think." Danny laughs.

Ash growls under his breath and Pikachu's cheeks spark. Misty rolls her eyes at them and turns more firmly to Danny. "Cute, but what were those challenges?"

Danny up three fingers and ticks them off as he talks. "Freeze the geyser, create a sled and race to the bottom." He smiles, "You know, you don't have to challenge together. It's pretty clear who the brains are here." He reaches again for Misty's hand but she steps away.

"Uh-huh." She says. "Ash, call Lapras. Let's destroy this...gym leader."

Ash turns his hat around and sticks his tongue out at Danny. "Lapras."

Danny sighs "have it your way. Nidoqueen." His pokémon materializes in a red beam before the geyser. "Ready?" he asks.

Misty and Ash both nod.

"Go."

Lapras tries, she does, but Nidoqueen is faster. Danny's geyser is frozen nearly as soon as Danny speaks the word. Ash's head drops down as he recalls Lapras but Misty places her hand on Ash's shoulder.

"There's two more challenges to go. We can win." She call's Starmie and waits while pokémon materializes. "Who are you going with?" She asks.

Ash smirks. "An old friend." He replies, reaching towards Misty. She steps back but Ash points at the jacket she's still wearing. She reaches into the pocket and pulls out a pokeball. When she depresses the button, Charizard materializes before her.

"Oh, Ash. Not Charizard."

"Why not?" Ash asks. "He can do it. And Pikachu."

"You two ready?" Danny asks from beside them. He doesn't wait for them reply before he calls "Go."

Charizard ignores the geyser leaving Starmie and Pikachu to attempt to shape it with swift.

Danny looks over at them and laughs. "When you lose, Misty. You are welcome to stay here with me."

Misty scoffs. "Gross." She whispers.

Ash clenches his fist. "That guy is really getting annoying." He hisses. Pikachu _kaa_ 's, sparking his cheeks.

Misty shakes her head. "I think," she whispers at Pikachu, "That paralyzing the gym leader would be an instant disqualification."

Pikachu nods and _chuu_ 's towards charizard who is blowing flaming bubbles from his nose.

Charizard blinks at Pikachu and then glances at Danny before blowing a huge plume of flame towards the geyser. Starmie and Pikachu barely have time to move out of the way but when the flame clears, the sled is complete.

Ash jumps up, elated to have won one. But Danny is smirking and Misty shivers at his smile.

"So, we're tied." The gym leader intones. "The final challenge is a sled race to the bottom."

Misty swallows hard looking down the race course. "I don't…" she starts.

Ash shakes his head at her. "We can't give up now, Mist."

They get in with room enough only for Bulbasaur to steer.

Danny calls Geodude alone and places his pack before him. "So it's fair." He states at Misty's raised eyebrow. "Ready?"

Ash and Misty nod.

"Go." He whispers and Geodude pushes them off.

"Bulbasaur." Ash calls and the pokémon pushes them off as well. Suddenly, they are speeding down the mountain, passing Danny in a blur of trees and rocks and...Team Rocket?

"No time for you today." Misty screams, throwing a handful of snow into their faces. They trip and roll away, falling down another path in the mountain.

Ash laughs. "Not blasting off today then?"

"Friends of yours?" Danny calls from somewhere behind them. But neither Misty nor Ash respond, focused solely on the finish line that they cross a sleds width ahead of Danny.

He grins handing them the Sea Ruby Badge.

Misty is exhausted on the ferry to the Trovita gym. She's been avoiding Ash for nearly two weeks. And when you are literally traveling with only the person you are avoiding...staying out of their way is hard.

But….

Things have gotten...weird...since the last gym battle. Or maybe….maybe they've stopped being weird.

They haven't fought at all since that battle, and...Ash has been...considerate. He always waits for her to finish before grabbing more food and they've been training together...and...He's even listened to her when training Lapras...it's…

Weird…

Ash doesn't argue anymore when people say that they're together either...he just...shrugs…

Misty's been going with it but...answers...she'd really like answers….

If only she could ask the questions...

"Misty?" Ash calls.

Misty's eyes widen. He's found her. Or...well...maybe he's just looking for her...if she's quiet...Togepi coos in her arms and Misty curses under her breath. She should have left Togepi with Pikachu for a nap.

Pikachu rounds the corner of the boat and his ears twitch in happiness to find Misty. Togepi wiggles and Misty puts the baby down to toddle over to Pikachu.

"There you are." Ash grins, rounding the corner behind his pokémon.

"Here I am." Misty croaks.

Ash walks over to and leans on the railing beside her, taking a deep breath of the sea air. He turns around and leans his back on the railing to look at her. Misty smiles and looks away.

For a moment there is no noise behind the playful coos of Togepi and the answering _kaa_ 's of Pikachu and splashing.

Panicked splashing.

"Mist," Ash says, head tilted down, "Did I do something wrong? Are you avoiding me?"

Misty doesn't reply, instead vaulting herself over the deck. Ash spins around at her splash and groans.

"You didn't have to dive into the water to avoid me?" He shouts.

Misty shakes her head and points to a splash in the distance. Squinting, Ash can just make out a girl's head bobbing in the water. "Follow me on Lapras." Misty scream at him before disappearing under the waves.

"Shoot." Ash shouts. "Pikachu, Togepi!" They come running and Ash puts Togepi and Pikachu in his bag. "Hold on." He tells them, before calling Lapras and diving into the water after Misty. Together he and Lapras haul Misty and small girl from the rough water.

Misty immediately checks the girl's pulse and breathing and sighs in relief, slumping against Ash. "Arceus, a few more minutes and…"

Ash hugs her to him tightly. "You made it though." He says.

They hit the beach and a young man runs up to them as Ash is helping Misty and the small girl from Lapras. The boy grabs the small girl from Misty and hugs her tightly.

"Don't ever do that again, Mahri." He hisses. "You scared me half to death."

"I'm sorry." The girl sobs and the boy rocks back, wiping tears from her face.

"I'm not mad." he says. "I was scared." he wipes another tear from her face and turns to Misty, smiling in a way that has Ash stepping just slightly closer. "And you" he grabs Misty and pulls her into a dance. "I can't thank you enough for saving my sister Ms…"

"Misty." She swallows, stumbling in the steps.

"Misty." the man sighs. "I'm Rudy, the Trovita Gym Leader. You must be an amazing water-trainer to have rescued my sister. You could teach the trainers at the gym so much."

"Umm…" Misty trails...glancing towards Ash.

"Please say you'll come to the gym with me? At least for dinner to thank you for saving my sister…"

Misty stops moving, locking her feet such that the dance ends. "Ash and I would be honored." Misty says.

Rudy blinks, eyes leaving Misty to stare towards Ash. "Him?"

Misty nods. "He did save Mahri with me, after all."

"I suppose that's true." the gym leader nods. "But I was hoping for…."

"For what?" Ash asks, voice dangerously low.

"For a private dinner with your companion." Rudy replies, grabbing Misty's hand to bring it to his lips.

Misty flushes but pulls her hand away. "I don't think that'd be appropriate…" she whispers, stepping back.

Rudy raises his eyebrow but it is Ash who answers, "Partner. She's my partner. Not my companion."

Rudy nods. "I see. Well, I wouldn't want to cause any friction between….partners…" He grimaces, looking between them. "But you should both at least stay at the gym before you challenge tomorrow, it's the least I could do to thank you."

Thunder sounds distantly down the beach and Mahri screeches, ducking behind Rudy's leg.

"We should go now, though." Rudy states, stroking Mahri's hair, "if you're joining us."

Misty nods and together they walk towards the gym.

Misty showers as soon as she gets into her room and is drying her hair when Ash knocks at the door. Towel in hand she lets him in and he sits on her bed.

For a few moments, he's silent. There's no sound beyond the thunder and rain outside. Misty finishes drying her hair and grabs a brush to put it in a ponyta-tail.

She's run the brush through it once when Ash groans and flops on the bed, a spray of words spilling from him into the blanket.

"What was that, Ash?" Misty asks, finishing her hair. "You sounded for a moment like a caterpie and you know I can't handle bugs."

Ash laughs and sits up. "There's nothing wrong with bugs, Mist."

"Hey, we all have our own things, partner."

"Yeah." Ash replies, looking away.

Misty sighs and sits beside him. "What's up?"

"Are you avoiding me?" Ash asks, turning to meet her eyes.

Misty scoots back and blushes, suddenly aware of how small the bed is. "No."

"Liar." Ash bumps her shoulder and Misty smiles.

"Maybe a little."

"Why?"

Misty sighs again and stands up, putting her brush away so that she has something to do with her hands. "Because...I don't know what we are."

Ash blinks. "Did you hit your head when you went after Mahri?"

Misty flings a hair tie at Ash who dodges it easily. "No, you see. I mean...ugh this whole conversation has me feeling like my sisters."

"How so?"

"It is so very girly."

Ash shrugs. "Not really. Unless I'm girly."

Misty blinks, "well, you did have that stint as Ashley…"

Ash throws a pillow at her and misses by a wide margin. He sighs. "I mean, I know what you mean."

Misty blinks again and her thoughts stutter to a halt. "What?" she asks.

"I don't know what we are either. But Danny and Rudy both made me angry."

"Why?"

"Why do you think?" Ash asks, raising his eyebrow in an eerie imitation of her own disbelief.

"No way, the great Ash Ketchum thinking of things other than pokémon?"

Ash throws another pillow at her which hits her face. She throws it back laughing. "It does explain some things." she says, grin still bleeding through her tone.

"Like, what?" Ash asks, looking towards the floor.

"You stare. You get really angry anytime someone so much as looks at me. You haven't yelled at anyone for calling us a couple for a few weeks."

Ash stands up and walks towards the door. "I guess...you don't want to travel together anymore?" he says quietly. "I'll leave. You can have that dinner with Rudy."

Misty shakes her head and walks over toward him, spinning him around so that he faces her. "You are a slowpoke, Ash Ketchum." She says and kisses his cheek. "I haven't yelled at anyone either and, in case you hadn't noticed, I am still wearing your jacket."

Ash's eyes widen and he blushed redder than a magmar. "Does that mean?" he asks.

Misty nods. "Never would have happened if Brock were with us."

Ash's eyes widen once more. "Arceus, we can never tell him. Or my mom."

"They'll probably figure it out." Misty replies, lifting their joined hands.

Ash sighs. "Yeah. "He answers, stepping out the door. "Can I have my jacket back though?"

"Not a chance, Pallet Town." Misty replies, shutting the door. Giggling she leans against it and slides down until she's sitting. Smiling, she shakes her head. She has no idea what's coming in their future, Mew she hardly has a clue about their tomorrow. But she knows one thing; they are going to wipe the gym with Rudy and she can't wait for the celebration.


	3. Getting Along With Each Other's Pokemon

A/N: so...this happened...it's not quite a drabble but...closer?

Getting Along with Each Other's Pokémon

* * *

It's Daisy, of all people, who brings it up first. She's at some holiday party or another that Delia is hosting, and hiding with Tracey by the punchbowl lest the host corner her again and ask about the wedding that still isn't, when she notices them out the corner of her eye. Ash and Misty. Delia, of course, is elated to have her son back home for the day and it is for the day-he's left whatever region it is he's competing in just to be here for his mom's party and is leaving right after. But it's not Delia and Ash that are drawing Daisy's attention; no. It's Ash and Misty or, more specifically, Misty and Pikachu.

As soon as Ash had run in the door, Pikachu's ears had perked and he'd run from Ash to jump into Misty's arms. When Ash had tried to reclaim Pikachu, moments later, the pokémon had growled and sparked up so that the lights had flickered and Delia had told Ash to leave Pikachu with Misty.

Daisy had been watching Misty ever since.

"Isn't that like, weird?" Daisy whispers to Tracey, the two of them ducked behind a potted plant as Delia stalks by.

"Isn't what weird?" Tracey asks, reaching a hand up through the leaves to steal a carrot stick from a nearby snack table.

Gary Oak slips one into his hand, "You mean, besides the fact that two full grown adults are hiding behind the food table?" Gary asks, smirking.

Tracey crunches down on the carrot stick, a look of thanks crossing his features.

Daisy rolls her eyes. "You know she was just as bad with you and that girl of yours, how's that going anyway?"

"Not you too," Gary groans, turning away from them with a smirk "De-" he starts.

Daisy kicks him under the table. "Fine, like question taken back."

Gary laughs and passes Daisy a pepper which she takes gratefully. She smiles, popping in her mouth. "Misty, like, hates these."

"I know." Gary replies. "Ash brought that up the whole time we were in Sinnoh. Pikachu hates them too."

"Isn't it, like, weird how close they are?" Daisy asks.

"Who? Misty and Ash?" Tracey asks, reaching for another carrot.

"No," Daisy replies. "Misty and Pikachu."

Gary nods and is going to respond when heeled footsteps start over. The color drops from Gary's face.

"Gary Oak, just who are you talking to over there? And where is that girl of yours?" Delia asks.

Gary swallows and mouths an apology to below the table.

Daisy's eyes widen and Tracey blanches. "C'mon, man." he hisses.

Gary sighs and "you owe me one." before looking up and smiling towards what Daisy can only assume is a rapidly approaching Delia. "She's keeping grandpa company." Gary says, walking away from the table. "Have you seen May yet, I think she brought Drew with her…"

Gary's voice trails off and Daisy sighs in relief, standing up and shuffling Tracey off to a new hiding spot deeper in the house.

* * *

It's Tracey who sees it next. He's at the gym, visiting Daisy and helping Misty with some minor maintenance when a phone call comes through. Misty turns to him and smiles apologetically.

"Do you mind?" she asks.

Tracey shakes his head, of course he doesn't mind. Gym leaders have to be ready to answer any call and Misty, despite being practically his little sister-in-law is no different.

Misty stands up and claps her hands together, shaking the dirt from them. She pats Marill, who is sleeping beside her, and skips up to the phone, smiling brightly when Ash's face resolves on the screen.

"Ash!" She grins.

"Hey, Mist." he replies from the screen.

Marril's ear twitches at the noise and the baby pokémon sits up and looks around sleepily.

"How'd the gym battle go?" Misty asks.

Ash laughs. "How do you think?" he asks and Marill stands up and begins searching the gym, confusedly cooing a questioning _rill_.

"You lost." Misty deadpans.

Ash groans. "Ha. Ha. You are so funny, Mist." Marill's search widens and her eyes blink in confusion. In almost a panic, the baby pokémon runs into Tracey who points towards Misty on the phone. Marill's eyes brighten immediately and she runs over to her trainer.

"I knew you could do it." Misty grins, resting her face on her hand. Marill jumps onto the counter, squeezing herself between Misty's chin and the phone counter. Misty laughs.

"Well hello, Marill." she coos.

Marill rubs against Misty happily before launching into a grumpy string of chatter.

Over the phone, Ash laughs. "She sounds angry, Mist"

"She is." Misty sighs, patting Marill's head. "She's angry that I didn't wake her up to say hi to you."

"But, it's during her nap time, isn't it?" Ash asks.

Tracey blinks in surprise. He hadn't even known that it was the baby pokémon's normal nap time and he was at the gym practically weekly, how could Ash possibly have known from Unova when it was that Marill napped.

Misty nods. "She went down pretty late today though. Someone forgot to call beforehand." Marill offers an annoyed _Mar_ in agreement.

It's everything Tracey can do to not drop the pipe he is working on. Ash calls daily? Did Daisy know? She had to...right?

Ash scoffs. "Look, I'm sorry Marill. My battle went long. But you need sleep if you want to grow big and strong like Pikachu."

Marill turns her face in annoyance and Misty and Ash laugh.

"Come on, Marill." Misty says, picking the baby pokémon up. "You need to go back to sleep and I'm sure Ash has to go celebrate his win."

"Yeah." Ash replies. "Cilan is probably wondering where I am. Night Marill. Mist."

"Congrats." Misty says, turning off the screen. She spins back to Tracey and stops in her tracks, smile sliding from her face. "What?" she asks.

Tracey closes his mouth and looks down quickly, returning as fast as he can to work on the pipe. "Nothing." he replies.

Misty hums but returns to work, determined to say nothing about the exchange.

* * *

It's Gary Oak who finally puts the pieces together years later. Many others have noticed this tendency of Ash and Misty to practically share pokémon. Arceus, Brock has even mentioned seeing them send pokémon to one another for training. But it had never really made sense until Gary had been working through his grandfather's paperwork-the old man having finally decided to take a sabbatical to research-and found something...odd...in the wording. If he hadn't been so confident in Professor Oak's abilities he'd have thought it was errors...except...it's one specific error repeated over years.

Sighing, he calls Tracey at the Cerulean gym. Tracey'd been Professor Oak's assistant for years and then, for reasons Gary still can't place, had willingly married into the Waterflower clan. If anyone knew what was going on, it'd be Tracey.

Tracey answers the call mid yell, demanding that his oldest daughter put down their youngest "and not in the…" he trails off, cringing, "pool."

"I can call back." Gary says, wincing.

Tracey shakes his head. "Nope. Delia's here. She can handle them." He grins. "So, have you finally given up on the Professor's filing system?" Tracey asks.

"Why's Delia…" Gary asks.

Tracey shrugs. "Apparently since her own son won't give her grandchildren she may as well help take care of his little girlfriend's nieces." He holds up his fingers, air quoting words that are clearly not his.

Gary nods. "Right, but speaking of Ash and Misty…"

"What did they do this time?" Tracey asks, sighing. "It's Brock's month to deal with them."

"Nothing...wait….do you two really trade off?"

"Sometimes," Tracey grins. "When Daisy's at a shoot and I have the kids…"

"Makes sense." Gary nods. "But they didn't do anything...at least...not recently…"

"What do you mean, recently?" Tracey asks, sitting down in front of the phone and grinning in wait of gossip.

Gary shakes his head. "Have you ever known the Professor to make mistakes with pokémon registration?"

Tracey looks up in thought and then shakes his head. "No?"

"Have you ever known pokémon to be registered to more than one person?" Gary asks.

Tracey shakes his head again. "Not outside of gyms…" he says trailing off.

"And?" Gary asks, biting his lip.

"I guess some of my pokémon are co-registered with Daisy but we're….no…"

Gary nods. "Every pokémon that either of them has caught since...Togepi? Is registered to the both of them"

Tracey blinks. "Oh we have to call Brock." And before Gary can object, the pokémon doctor is on the phone.

"Tracey, Gary!" He says happily. "I'm on call so this has to be fast. What's up?"

"Misty and Ash." Tracey replies.

Brock's face pales. "I guess it is my turn, send them my way." He sighs.

Gary laughs. "They haven't done anything, yet...it's just...who was Togepi registered to?"

Brock blinks. "Misty." Brock says. "Why?"

Tracey giggles, practically bouncing in his seat. "Nope." He says.

Brock blinks. "Ash then. I guess? I don't know, they practically co-raised all of their pokémon."

"And isn't that weird?" Gary asks, gathering some papers. "I mean they were...what 12? When they found Togepi?"

"Or 13." Brock says, staring at some papers that some nurse or another shoves into his hands. "It's just how they are. Look, I've got to go. What are you trying to tell me?"

"All of their pokémon are co-registered." Gary says, holding the papers up.

Brock blinks. "Run that by me again?"

"Look," Tracey breaks in, pointing at the papers. "Their pokémon are all co-registered."

"Uh-huh." Brock says, squinting at the screen. "Tell me though, did you notice the names on the forms?"

"Yeah," Gary says. "Ash and Misty Ketchum."

Tracey's jaw drops. "Say that again?"

"Ash and Misty Ketchum...Arceus, they didn't," Gary shouts.

"It does explain the pokémon, though." Tracey says.

Three three of them nod, falling into silence as Delia walks up to the screen. "The girls are asleep, by the way." She says to Tracey, offering him a hug.

Tracey leans into the hug in thanks. "You are a gift straight from Mew." he says.

Delia nods. "Oh hello Brock, Gary. Just what are you three gossiping about?"

Tracey swallows, hard. Gary and Brock wave their hands at him, motioning him to go on. Tracey sighs and turns up to face Delia with a smile. "Have you ever noticed anything odd about the way Ash and Misty act with each other's pokémon…" he starts, praying that Daisy gets home before he ends the story.


	4. Protecting Each Other

A/N: ...I...okay, look: I swear it's shippy...you just...have to hold it at the right angle

Protecting Each Other

* * *

He's going to kill them this time.

Really.

They've done stupid things before but this?

Brock groans, the sound bouncing around the small waiting room, and stands up.

Beside him, Marill's ear quirks and he sighs, leaning down to stroke the small pokémon's fur. She trills and cuddles into Brock's hand before rolling over once more and returning to sleep.

Brock steps away from her slowly, breath held until he is sure she is sleeping soundly.

Marill snores and Brock crosses the room in three quick strides to get more coffee from the machine.

The empty coffee machine.

Biting back a swear he sets the machine to start and leans his head against the sole vending machine in the family waiting room. Against the cold, smooth metal he closes his eyes.

How had the day come to this?

Though, if he's honest, maybe the question he should be asking is how they had made it this far without the day coming to this.

Without the day ending with Brock cooped up in waiting room hoping for...something, anything.

News mostly.

The timer on the coffee beeps and Brock sighs, pouring it down his throat as soon as it's cool enough to touch.

It's been a few hours already and there's been no word. Not on Ash. Not on Misty. Not even on Pikachu.

Brock sits down again, newly filled mug of coffee at his feet, and drops his head to his hands.

He's really going to kill them.

A noise at the back of the room draws Brock's attention and he looks up to Delia Ketchum run through the door, eyes roaming wildly before locking on Brock. Quickly, heels clacking against bleached linoleum, she crosses the room to collapse on the chair next to Brock. She breathes out, a long sigh that seems to pull with it all of the fight from her face until she sags into the chair.

She turns to Brock, wrinkles that he's never seen reflecting in the harsh fluorescent light of the room, and smiles weakly. "Any word?" She asks, hope brimming in red rimmed eyes.

Brock looks away, refusing to meet her eyes as he shakes his head.

"Have you seen their charts?"

"They won't even let me see Pikachu's, and I could be some help there."

"Oh." Delia says, sinking back into the chair.

They lapse into silence; the only sound the air conditioner above.

The lights flicker.

Marill snores.

A soft beeping echoes from somewhere in the hallway.

Brock clutches his head. He's going to scream or punch something or...kill them. He's going to kill them.

"Are you alright, dear?" Delia asks, kneeling in front of him.

Brock blinks. She'd been beside him only seconds before...what?

"Did you get hurt too? Do the doctors need to check you out?" Delia questions softly.

Brock shakes his head and Delia reaches forward, touching his face somewhere near his nose. She pulls back a finger stained crimson.

"Are you sure?" She asks once more.

Brock nods. "I'm okay" He chokes out hoarsely. "It's dry in here."

Delia nods and hands him a water bottle, opening one of her own. "Hospitals always are." She says, sadly.

"Have you been in them often?" Brock asks, taking a sip of his own water.

Delia laughs, a high bright sound that vanishes all too quickly in the cold room. "When Ash was growing up, it was practically our second home. He was always getting into fights with older kids for bullying his friends or the neighborhood pokémon."

"Ash got into fights?" Brock asks incredulously.

Delia nods. "He never seemed to know when to run away."

Brock smiles at her, taking another sip of his water. "Now that I can see."

Delia hums in response, crossing the room to the sole coffee machine. She sniffs the pot and her nose crinkles. Sighing, she dumps the old coffee and begins a new pot. "Of course, I've spent my fair share of time in them with Misty as well."

Brock chokes on a mouthful of water. "When were you ever in the hospital with Misty?"

"She got into her fair share of fights in Cerulean while you and Ash were out and exploring and she was at the gym."

"I didn't know."

Delia shrugs, holding a now hot coffee pot up at Brock in question. He nods and she pours each of them a Styrofoam cup full of caffeine. "There were a lot of people who didn't think she was fit to be a gym leader. She was very good at starting fights. Better at ending them." Delia walks back over to Brock, handing him one of the cups. He takes it with a smile and nearly chokes on the black liquid.

"Arceus, Ms. K. I didn't know they made coffee this strong."

"Brock, please. Of all nights, call me Delia tonight."

Brock nods and takes another sip, grimacing as it slides down his throat. He's not going to sleep again tonight. Maybe not this week.

They're silent again for a few moments, the room filled with the boiling coffee pot and whirring AC and snoring pokémon.

Brock takes another sip of the brew, taste buds finally deadened to the bitter assault and sighs. "I'm going to kill them when they get out of here, you know."

Delia smirks, "if anyone has a better motive, I haven't met them." She pauses and looks at Brock with a sad smile. "How'd it happen?"

Brock sighs and places his newest coffee cup atop the old ones, the Styrofoam tower nearly tipping. "I didn't see it all."

Delia nods and motions for him to continue.

"We were at a festival." Brock says, looking away. "They were dancing…"

"Were they, now?" Delia asks, laughter haunting her tone.

Brock rubs his eyes, "yeah, Ash had even asked Misty." He turns to Delia and grins, the smiles entirely out of place on his tired face. "It was so cute, he was so red that I was sure he wasn't breathing. And the stuttering, I'm amazed that Misty even knew what he was saying."

"Oh," Delia grins. "If only Tracey had been with you, he'd have drawn a sketch."

"I took pictures." Brock whispers, handing Delia Ash's battered pokedex.

She's silent for a few minutes, swiping through the pictures of her son and Misty as he awkwardly asks her to dance and a few frames of them spinning on the floor. Brock steps away from her while she's absorbed and checks on Marill. The baby pokémon coos at his touch but doesn't awaken. Brock smiles at her, turning around only at a sharp gasp from his back.

"Team Rocket?" he asks.

Delia nods silently.

"I stopped taking pictures then." He says.

"What…" Delia begins.

"They grabbed Pikachu," Brock replies, answering her unasked question. "Or tried to. Of course…"

"Ash stepped in the way." Delia states.

Brock nods. "Yes...and then Misty...you know how Team Rocket always has those crazy schemes? There was a robot in this one and...I don't know. Sparks and a fire…Ash wouldn't leave Pikachu and Misty…"

"Wouldn't leave Ash?"

"Something like that, or at least...that's what Officer Jenny said." Brock sighs once more and stands, crossing the room to the vending machine and staring inside. He punches it and it creaks but the glass front doesn't shatter and the metal frame doesn't break. Brock groans, cradling his hand. "I wasn't there. I couldn't help them."

"What were you doing?" Delia asks, tone bland.

"Helping get everyone else out of the park."

Delia sighs and crosses the room to stand beside Brock. She places her hand on his shoulder. "You wouldn't have been able to do anything." She says.

Brock scoffs.

"Hey." Delia states firmly. "You know they'd do anything to keep each other safe. If you'd been there then all three of you would be on the other side of that door." Delia points to the hospital doors.

Brock sighs. "I know you're right…" his voice trails off and he shakes his head. "But…"

"But nothing. Brock, if half the stories you and Tracey and everyone else all of you know are true then my son has done truly idiotic things to protect that girl and she's had a few stupid ideas of her own. What could you being there possibly have changed?"

"Nothing." Brock says, meeting Delia's eyes. He hugs her, briefly and then steps away, wiping at his eyes. "Dusty in here isn't it?"

Delia smiles and opens her mouth but whatever she is going to say is lost in the whooshing of the hospital doors opening and a doctor stepping through.

Delia grabs Brock's hand and squeezes it tightly.

Brock holds his breath and hopes to Arceus that he has the chance to kill Ash and Misty for their latest stunt.

The doctor smiles.


	5. Sleeping Together

A/N: I apologize for any terrible errors in this one, it's got to go up now and before the usual editorial process because of an event that I am working tonight/tomorrow (Yay 24 hour events) and the last two fics of the week may also be delayed as a result...

Sleeping Together

* * *

It's nearly five by the time they stumble into Pallet, punch drunk on lack of sleep and still giggling over their latest adventure. Misty has to cover her mouth to keep quiet as Ash fumbles with the key to the door and nearly loses the fight for silence when he drops the key for the third time in as many minutes. Brock rolls his eyes and takes the key, easily fitting it into the lock. He holds a finger to his lips, and looks past them at the forest just outside of town; a threat that they can sleep outside if they won't quiet down.

Ash and Misty freeze, instantly sobered at the thought of another night outside, and together the three of them creep into the darkened house. It's clear that Ash's mom hadn't been expecting them for another day at least. Her guest room is still filled with sewing supplies-fabrics and threads spilling over every flat surface-and the bed roll that usually sits on the floor of Ash's room is nowhere to be found. It leaves them with a bed and the couch: two sleeping spaces to split between the three of them.

"Why don't you take the bed, Brock." Misty says, quick to jump in before either of the boys can demand she take the bed. "Ash can take the couch and I have my sleeping bag."

"No way." Ash replies in a hiss, "My mom would never forgive me if I let you sleep on the floor in my house. You take the couch, I can sleep on the floor."

"Misty should take the bed." Brock adds in a low whisper. "I'll take the couch."

Misty looks at Brock and raises an eyebrow. "You think you'll fit on the couch?" She holds a hand at her height and draws a line from the top of her head to Brock's shoulders. "It's a tight fit for me, half of you is going to have to hang off."

Ash stuffs a hand in his mouth to stop the giggles that are threatening to overtake him. "Yeah, Brock-o, I'm not even sure you'll fit in my bed."

"He's not that much taller than you…" Misty whispers voice trailing off in a lilt that threatens laughter.

Ash tilts his head towards her, eyes rolled back, and traces a line from the top of his head to Brock's chin.

Misty snorts.

"Okay, you two, point made. I'll sleep in the bed. But, Misty, really, you should sleep on the couch." Brock grumbles, walking into the room.

He shuts the door leaving Ash and Misty staring at one another in the dawn streaked house.

Misty shrugs, "Meet you downstairs?"

Ash nods.

The two part ways to prepare for bed and meet several moments later in front of the couch. Ash pulls out his sleeping bag and stretches it on the floor.

His back cracks with the movement and Misty winces.

"You know," she says, stretching her own sleeping bag on the couch. "I don't mind sleeping on the floor."

Ash shakes his head. "Mom would kill me."

Misty sighs and looks towards Pikachu, hoping for some agreement about the annoyance of his trainer. Sadly, Pikachu offers no help from his spot, sleeping curled around Marill on one of the room's chairs. Misty sighs again and looks towards the ceiling. "You could sleep on the couch with me," she whispers.

Ash stops mid motion. "What?" he nearly shouts.

There's noise upstairs, a creaking in one of the rooms above them and Ash and Misty both freeze, eyes wide. The creaking stops and they breathe out in relief.

"It's not like we haven't shared beds before." Misty reasons. "And the couch will still fit both of us...I think."

Ash looks over at the couch, eyes raised. "Sure, it'll fit both of us." he grins, "if we're really close."

Misty gasps, "Are you saying we aren't close friends, Ketchum?" she asks, voice pitched in mock offence. "And here I thought this trip was all about our friendship. Sir, you wound me."

Ash stuffs a hand in his mouth for the second time in the night, stifling giggles as best he can. When his breathing has finally slowed, he smiles broadly at Misty. "Sir, you wound me?" he asks.

Misty shrugs. "Lily was in some period piece last month."

"You are spending way too much time with your sisters."

"Sounds to me like someone needs to steal me away on more adventures."

Ash sighs and nods. "I'll try to, Mist." he says, seriously. "But I've been all through Kanto, a few times. I need to go new places if I'm ever going to be a master and you…"

"Have to stay close enough to the gym, I know. I was kidding. And we make time when we can. Don't worry about it. Besides, Violet has been spending more time training lately, so who knows. Maybe I'll be able to leave for longer soon."

"Really?"

Misty nods and the two lapse into silence. Ash fluffs his pillow and lies down, back and elbows creaking as he moves. Misty cringes and glares at him from the couch.

"You know," she says, breaking the silence. "I was serious about sharing the couch. We will both fit. And we've slept closer before."

Ash props himself on his elbows to meet Misty's eyes. "Yeah, when we were younger."

Misty scoffs, the sound loud enough that Pikachu shifts in his sleep and Marill trills. Ash glares at her and Misty smiles apologetically. "So what." she hisses in a whisper. "Look, I know you're not comfortable. Just...come lay down on the couch with me. You'll actually sleep."

Ash sighs and moves to lay back down, elbows creaking again against the floor.

"Come on, Ketchum." Misty whispers. "You know I'm going to win. Just give up early so we get some sleep."

Ash scoffs and rolls over, ignoring her in a cacophony of creaking joints and crackling bones. Seconds later he rolls over again, a symphony of pain following the movement. And then again with a chorus of cracking.

Groaning, he sits up, back crunching loudly enough that Pikachu shifts in his sleep. "Fine," he grouses, standing up. He walks over to the couch and Misty grins up at him.

"Something you wanted, Ash?" she asks sweetly.

Ash, despite his annoyance, grins. "Shove over."

Misty rolls over and Ash slides onto the couch beside her. They shift for a few moments, freezing briefly any time arm brushes a back or a leg drifts across some invisible line they've drawn on the cushions until Misty sighs deeply and grabs Ash's arm.

"Just," she groans, placing his arm over her waist and shifting against his body so the line of her back is pressed against his front. "There, is that so awful?"

Ash shakes his head, not trusting his voice with how warm his face has suddenly gotten. He holds his arm rigidly where Misty had placed it, willing his body to stay still. He holds his breath and counts mareep sure that he'll never fall asleep.

For a while, Misty is just as still as he is but slowly she relaxes into his side. Her breathing evens and her grip on his arm relaxes until her hand falls away. And then….

Misty breathes…

and Pikachu snores….

and Marill trills...

and the couch is warm...

and his eyes…

...drift...


	6. Relationship Through the Eyes of Others

A/N: Sorry this one is late...my 24 hour event turned into...like 36 and then I was pretty much wiped...anyway...it's a little rough and not completely where I wanted it but...Aetheron gave me this fantastic idea and I kinda...this...so...I may be back to this one

Their Relationship Through the Eyes of Others

* * *

The phone rings at 3 PM in Kanto and Delia Ketchum, having just laid down for a nap, sits on her bed and waits for the heavy footfalls of her son running across the floor to answer it. For years now it has been just her and Ash and he has always excitedly run to the phone whenever it rang, always hoping to be the first to answer it. Delia hasn't answered the phone first in years.

The phone rings again, tone louder for having been ignored, and Delia waits.

And waits.

And waits.

But Ash isn't home.

She hits her forehead with her hand and laughs to herself.

Ash had left on his journey a few days earlier and Delia is alone in the house.

Laughing, she sits up and answers the phone by her bed.

Ash's face resolves on the vid-screen; tired, dirty, but smiling.

"Ash," Delia grins.

"Hey, Ma." Ash replies. His voice sounds hoarse, like he's getting sick or...Delia's eyes widen. His face is covered in soot and there's a bandage over his eye and another across his cheek. His jacket is ripped and his hat has a tear in the brim.

Delia gaps. "What?"

"I'm okay." Ash says to her worry.

"And Pikachu?" Delia asks.

Ash looks down and picks at his nails. "He's...getting to be okay."

"What happened?"

"Loads." Ash is still looking down, refusing to meet her eyes.

"Ash Ketchum, you tell me what has happened right now." Delia demands, voice having reached the pitch that Samuel Oak had always referred to as her Mom Voice.

Ash looks up immediately and sighs. "Pikachu listens to me now and Team Rocket tried to attack the pokémon center and...I don't even know where to start…"

Delia's eyes soften, she takes a deep breath and smiles. "Start with...where are you now?"

"Viridian City." Ash answers immediately.

"Oh," Delia replies. That's very far away and he's gotten there remarkable quickly. "How…"

"On a bike," Ash replies, looking away again.

Delia blinks, how had he gotten a bike? She'd given him enough money to begin training and she's sure it wasn't enough for a bike; so how? Ash is looking at her, an odd stare that Delia is not sure she's ever seen grace her son's face.

"Mom?" He asks, "are you alright? You haven't spoken in a while…"

Oh, that's why he looked at her so oddly. "Yes, dear." Delia responds, "just trying to work out how you purchased a bike."

A loud yell echoes from somewhere beyond the screen and a young girl with bright red hair stomps up to Ash on the screen.

"Ash Ketchum," The girl shouts. Ash cringes. "You had better be working out a way to pay me back for my bike."

Ash turns away from the screen and looks at the girl the same way he'd looked at Delia only months before when he'd broken her favorite cookie jar beyond all hope of gluing and Delia swallows a smile.

"Young lady?" Delia calls, voice raised enough to hopefully attract the girl's attention.

The girl turns away from glaring at Ash to glance at the screen and her pale face flushes to her orange bangs. "Oh, I'm sorry, Ash. I didn't realize you were on the phone."

Delia smiles. "That's quite alright, young lady."

"Misty," Ash mumbles, "Her name is Misty."

"Okay then, Misty." Delia says. "What was this you were saying about your bike?"

"Oh," Misty says, glancing between Delia and Ash. "ummm...Ash and I can talk about it later."

"I broke her bike rescuing Pikachu." Ash states.

Delia nods. "Well then, Ash. You know you'll have to pay for it?"

Ash nods miserably.

"Misty, how will he be able to reach you when he has the money?"" Delia asks.

Misty's victorious grin falters. "I...don't know." She replies, "I'm a...traveling trainer?"

Delia nods. "Like, Ash. Well." She claps and both kids look at the screen together. "Sounds like you two will just have to travel together until he can pay you back."

Ash and Misty groan in frustrated unison and Delia has to hold a hand to her mouth to smother the smile that breaks through. They argue for a while more until Nurse Joy walks over to the phone and tells Ash that Pikachu has recovered. Both kids say their goodbyes and Delia, when she finally hangs up, laughs into the new silence of her room. Misty. Delia has a feeling that girl is going to be part of her son's life for a while yet.

It's nearly a month before Ash calls again, this time much later in the day. He's drenched and wrapped in a towel and smiling brightly.

"I won, Mom." He says, excitedly flashing her a raindrop shaped badge beside a stone one in his jacket. "I got the cascade badge."

"I am so proud of you, Ashy." Delia replies. He hadn't called when he'd gotten the boulder badge, instead writing her a short card in his childish handwriting. It was on Delia's mirror, tucked into the side on top of a picture Ash had sent her of himself and Misty and Brock, a new traveling companion who had joined him in Pewter City. On the phone screen, Ash crinkles his nose.

"Don't call me, Ashy." He groans.

"I'm sorry, dear." Delia replies. "I am proud of you though. And I knew you could do it."

Ash nods. "It was a hard fight." he says.

Delia hums back. "Was the gym leader tough, sweetie?"

Ash blinks, a strange expression crossing his face. "Yeah, but, Ma, that was the weird part. Misty was the gym leader."

"Misty?" Delia asks, trying to recall what she could of Cerulean City. "That's odd, I thought that the Waterflower sisters were the leaders in Cerulean."

Ash nods. "They are," he says. "Misty's their sister. The runt."

"Ash," Delia says, shocked to hear that word coming from her son. "That's not very polite."

"I know, Ma." Ash replies. "But that's what her sisters kept calling her. I don't understand though, why would they call her that? I mean she's short and annoying but she looks just as nice as they do."

Delia blinks. "What was that?" She thinks that there might have been a compliment buried in there somewhere.

Ash blushes, scratching his nose in an embarrassed habit he's had since he had been much younger. "I said she looks just as nice as they do."

"Ash," a girl's voice calls from somewhere off the screen. "Where are you? Brock says that dinner is done."

Ash rolls his eyes and turns from the phone, "Coming." He shouts back. He spins back to the screen with a grin. "I've got to go, Ma. Dinner."

"OK, dear." Delia replies, barely getting out an "I love you." before the phone clicks off.

Ash sends her a number of postcards from the road, all with various pictures of himself and Pikachu and occasionally Misty and Brock; enough so that Delia can track her son's journey. Though, in all honesty most of the pictures of the three of them have Misty and Ash glaring at each other from either side of Brock and most of those cards are filled with complaints about some argument or another the two had had. But still, Delia appreciates it. He's busy but still takes the time to write her though he doesn't call. In fact, Delia doesn't see her son again until she's on vacation with Samuel Oak and literally runs into him helping out at a restaurant.

"You broke someone else's property?" Delia asks, shaking her head.

Ash drops his head to his chest and mumbles a sad, "Yes."

Delia takes in a deep breath, ready to chastise her son but Misty cuts in before she can speak.

"It wasn't just his fault." Misty mumbles, standing beside Ash. She has a serving platter in her arms and is holding down against her legs.

Delia sighs, "Still…"

"It wasn't." Misty insists.

Delia shakes her head. "Well, I suppose that you two are at least helping to pay back for your mistake."

Ash and Misty nod together, furiously and Delia laughs.

"Misty could enter the Beach Beauty and Pokémon Costume Contest, if you really wanted to help." Samuel suggests, walking up beside Delia and handing her a drink.

"Oh," Delia says, glancing over at a flushing Misty. "You absolutely should. You're a shoe-in, dear" She takes a sip of the drink that Samuel had handed her and crinkles her nose, handing it back.

Samuel laughs. "I think you would have a shot." he tells the younger girl, finishing the drink he'd offered Delia.

Misty blushes deeper, a color so bright that Delia is certain her temperature must have risen with the color, and shakes her head. "No, no, no, no, no"

Ash looks at her and smiles. "You could at least try." he says. "Who knows, you might win."

Delia cringes, waiting for her son to say something to set Misty screaming. If his postcards are true, it doesn't take much to set her to yelling.

"You think?" Misty asks, raising an eyebrow towards Ash. And isn't that...interesting. She'd been saying no right up until Ash had suggested she try.

He nods. "You're really pretty." He says, blushing, "at least...when you're not yelling."

Delia's mouth practically falls open. Had her son just called someone pretty...Delia looks over to Samuel oak and catches his eyes. He nods and tilts his head slightly between the two kids and Delia nods.

Misty swallows hard and nods. "Okay," she says, "But I need to borrow Squirtle."

Ash hands over the pokémon without even asking why. Later on in the day, when Misty crosses the stage, Ash can't tear his eyes from her and Delia has to smother a bubbling laugh with both her hands.

Its postcards again for a long while after her vacation. Ash has gotten busy, adventuring from town to town and Delia has gotten busy herself. With no one to care for day to day, Delia's garden has flourished with the attention and she's selling her excess food at farmer's markets throughout Pallet. Even so, she's not blind to a growing trend in the postcards she's receiving. More and more the pictures that come with them contain Misty in addition to Ash and Pikachu. Brock sometimes makes his way into the images that come but these days, near a month before Ash's eleventh birthday, it's rare to get a picture that Misty is not in.

And they're not fighting in them.

No, instead the two are usually close together and laughing or sharing a meal or battling. Sometimes they're in costumes. Delia's favorites are ones taken in festivals, with both kids in their fanciest dress and laughing. Though, if she's truly honest, her favorite picture that she's received doesn't even have Ash in it; it's just Misty on stage in what looks like a magic show dressed in an outfit with colors that mimic a goldeen. Ash had sent it to her with some story about a magician they'd found on the way but Delia thinks it's odd that the picture he'd sent includes Misty and Misty alone. His postcard is all about how uncomfortable the girl had been but in the picture he'd sent, she's laughing at something off camera and seems more comfortable in her skin then Delia has seen.

It doesn't really hit Delia, though, how many pictures she has of Misty and Ash together until one morning when she looks at her mirror-the place all of her pictures end up-and sees a sea of orange staring back at her.

For a moment and only a moment she remembers another dresser from years earlier when she'd been a young girl and Ash's father had filled her mirror at her parents' home. Delia sighs. Eleven, her son is eleven and much too young to have met…

Though Delia herself had only been twelve…

Delia doesn't hear from Ash again in person until he returns home before the League. He's twelve now and has been away from home with only Brock and Misty for near two years. Two years of fights and growing and aging that Delia has only seen through postcards and pictures.

He's grown and his voice is deeper but he still walks into the house and crushes Delia in a hug.

"Mom," he says, Pikachu _kaa_ ing on his shoulder.

"Hey, Ash." Delia replies, hugging him back. She glances over his shoulder and finds Brock and Misty hanging on the edges of the door. Delia squeezes Ash once more and steps back, smiling at his friends. "Brock," she says, "Misty. How wonderful to see you both." And it is.

Brock smiles brightly and steps through the door. "Ms. K." He beams and offers Delia a handshake. Delia bypasses it and pulls Brock into a quick hug. His eyes widen in surprise but he falls into it easily. When he steps away, Delia turns to Misty and finds the girl smiling shyly back.

"Hi, Ms. K." She says, bouncing a baby pokémon in her arms.

"Hi, Misty." Delia says back, reaching an arm out to hug her.

Misty falls into the hug much easier then Brock but pauses in the door.

Ash, somehow standing behind her, laughs and guides her into the house with a hand on the small of her back.

"C'mon, Mist." He laughs, pushing her towards the stairs. "Let's settle Togepi and then I want to show you…" his voice trails as he walks up the stairs.

Delia raises her eye brows and turns to Brock who shrugs.

"They don't fight as much?" he offers.

Days later, Delia isn't quite sure she believe him. Without a doubt, the two are supportive of one another. Anytime Ash begins to doubt himself, Misty is right there helping him along. But they fight, Arceus, do they fight. Loud screaming matches that fill the house until Brock kicks them outside. In fact, Delia isn't even sure that two are friends until the league itself when Ash loses. It's a blow to the boy's confidence to be sure and Delia isn't sure he'll ever come back to himself. She tries talking to him and coaxing him from his room as does Brock and even Samuel. But only Misty is able to get him out.

They leave for the Orange Islands not too long after and Ash calls home much more regularly from there. Of course the phone calls are almost always about some boy or another noticing Misty and making him angry. It's after the fifth phone call on the same theme that Delia finally asks him why it annoys him.

Ash blinks and flushes. "Because...it's creepy." He hisses, voice a whisper so that he doesn't wake up Misty who Delia can see sleeping on a couch in the background.

"Why is it creepy, dear?" Delia asks.

"Because...look this one is like 17." Ash groans.

"Well," Delia replies. "You two are only 13, that's not much older."

"Its ages older, Mom." Ash puts his head in his hands. "And...he trains all of these water pokémon."

"Well, what does Tracey think?" Delia asks, hoping that the pokémon watcher has been able to talk some sense into her son.

"He said that the training opportunity would be amazing for Misty and that I can't hold her back." Ash moans.

Delia sighs. "Well, that is true. You do need to let your friends pursue their dreams."

"But...she's my Misty." Ash whispers.

Delia blinks. "What was that?"

"She's...my friend." Ash amends, quickly.

Delia laughs. "You should tell her."

"Tell her what?" Misty mumbles sleepily from the couch.

"Go back to sleep, Mist." Ash whispers, eyes filled with a sweetness Delia has only seen him direct towards pokémon.

"Okay," Misty yawns, laying back down. "But you don't need to worry. I'd never leave you." Misty whispers.

Ash turns to the phone screen, brighter red then Delia has ever seen. "I need to go, mom." He says, hanging up and Delia can only laugh.

.


	7. Life as A Couple

A/N: I regret nothing...

Life as A Couple

* * *

It's the end of September when Daisy finally gathers the courage to break into Misty's room. It's been a month since…

Well...

Since.

And no one has been in the space since then. Tracey picks the lock and together he and Daisy push into the room. It's musty. That's the first thing Daisy notices. The air is stale and heavy with dust and panic. Daisy freezes in the doorway, eyes finding nowhere safe to dwell in the room. There are clothes strewn on the floor and a bag is open on the bed, filled with discarded items. The dresser is covered in knick knacks of a lifetime spent traveling; necklaces and jewelry from far away regions litter the surface. Drawers are open and dripping with clothes. There are pictures everywhere, Misty staring out from most of them smiling and ageless. Ash is in most of them too, grinning.

Tears trace down Daisy's cheek. Tracey wipes them away and crosses the room, throwing the window open.

The sea air hit's Daisy and like magic she breathes and steps into the room, smiling at the thought of how angry Misty would be to see it.

"So," Tracey asks, looking around the space.

"We clean." Daisy replies, answering a question. Tracey nods and walks out of the room, leaving Daisy alone with the mess.

She sighs and grabs the hamper from the room's corner. One more glance around the room and she leans down to gather clothing.

Its easy work, bend down pick something up and place it in the bag; she doesn't have to think as she goes.

Just repeat.

Bend down, pick up an old bathing suit and throw it in the hamper.

Bend down, pick up jeans used mostly for cleaning the pool and toss.

Bend down, pick up a shirt that Daisy had bought her for some birthday or another and toss.

No thought, no missing sister no...Anything...just…

Just clothes from a lifetime ago and a full hamper and a covered floor.

Daisy swallows a sob but Tracey is there, grabbing the full bag and handing her an empty one. She smiles in thanks and continues picking up clothes.

A dress Misty can't have worn more than once, a sweatshirt, a pair of shorts, a...wait...hat?

Daisy picks it up and turns it over in her hands. It's red with a white face and black symbol. She smiles; it's Ash's. She puts it in the empty hamper with everything else and reaches down again: a pair of boy's jeans, a huge jacket, and a pair of trainers…

Daisy chokes back another sob. It's all Ash's. She's found a patch of Ash's clothes in her little sister's room. How had she missed that? How often had he been over at the gym and Daisy hadn't known.

How often…

Her face is wet again and Tracy is wiping it off with an old cloth, a pink handkerchief that Daisy could swear Misty had given Ash years ago.

Daisy swallows hard and Tracey pats her back, dripping the pink cloth into the hat Daisy had found earlier.

He glances around and smiles, weakly. "The floor looks clean." He offers.

Daisy nods. "Pictures." she says, pointing over at the walls.

Tracey nods and together they tackle the covered walls.

Daisy sniffs, reaches out and pulls a tack from the wall. A picture flutters down. It's Misty and Ash at a party, his arm is around her and she's leaning against him, smiling at the camera. Ash isn't looking at the camera, no, his eyes are only on Misty. Daisy looks up from the picture in her hands and glances at the others. They're all like that, no matter where the picture is taken, Ash is always looking only at Misty. Glaring or smiling or...it doesn't matter.

Daisy backs away from the walls and sits on the bed, tears spilling once more down her face.

Tracey looks at her, his own eyes rimmed in red. "Do you need a break?"

Daisy lays down on the bed, muffling her face in pillows that still smell of Misty's shampoo and salt and...Something else. Something, musky almost like cologne. "You finish." Daisy whispers.

Tracey doesn't anything back but minutes that feel like hours later he shakes Daisy's shoulder and hands her a stack of pictures. Daisy takes the stack mutely and puts it on the pillow.

Misty and Ash smile out of the top image, fourteen years old and out on what has to be their first date; a night out to dinner on the Cerulean Cape that Brock and Pikachu had followed them on and photographed.

Brock and Pikachu had been anything but sneaky and Misty had caught them before leaving the gym, laughed, and invited them along. She'd been so nervous the entire day, fiddling with her clothes and eventually even asking Daisy for help.

Daisy had laughed at her and then thrown Misty in an old dress of her own and done her makeup and hair. She'd been gorgeous. Ash hadn't been able to speak for minutes after opening the door.

Of course, if the stack of pictures on Misty's bed have any truth to them, Ash had really never stopped seeing Misty as gorgeous.

Daisy looks up from the pictures at Tracey and is near shocked at the cleanliness of the room. It's almost empty. The walls are bare and the floor is clear and all that's left is the dresser with its pictures and letters and jewelry. Daisy takes a deep breath and holds out her hand, letting Tracey haul her from the bed.

She catches his eyes and in unison they nod and step to the dresser.

They start with the clothes, opening drawers and emptying them into a bag for donating or...something. It's thoughtless work; Tracey opens the drawers and Daisy scoops the clothes. They stop at the bottom drawer. It's not Misty's clothes in there but Ash's. Daisy rocks back on her feet to find it, Ash had a drawer of clothes in her house and Daisy hadn't even known. She'd barely been home before…

Misty had handled the gym and Daisy and Lily and Violet had…

How had she missed it? Her little sister had been growing up under her nose and Daisy had…

She swallows hard and Tracey grabs her hand and pulls her up to standing so she's face to face with Misty's mirror.

Tracey bends down, and empties the last drawer without Daisy's help. He stands and meets Daisy's eyes in the mirror.

"Just a little more, Hun." He whispers.

Daisy wipes her eyes and smiles. 'Yeah." She looks down at the dresser, trailing her hand over Misty's knick knacks and grins, sadly.

There are toys there, of course, a collection of princess dolls Misty had won on her journey a few stuffed water pokémon, but mostly it's things Ash had sent her. There's a necklace from Kalos and a pendant from Unova. There's a crystal corsola Tracey points out as coming from the Orange Islands and letters.

The dresser is full of letters, a few from Brock and one or two from Tracey but mostly, mostly they're from Ash.

Misty's entire mirror is full of hastily scrawled greetings and rough descriptions of days past and dates scrawled on the margins of plane tickets and train passes and receipts. Daisy swallows hard and clears the mirrors, placing the papers into a box Tracey hands her. He's already placed the pictures in it. Delicately, Daisy picks up Misty's treasures and puts them in the box, packing up the last of her sister's things.

Sighing deeply, Daisy leans into Tracey and breathes out a sob.

The room's empty, just a clear room in a closed gym.

* * *

It's January when Delia enters his room for the first time since…

It's just a normal Wednesday, the day Delia cleans. Mimey wakes her up early and she dresses as she always does on cleaning day: in old clothes with a kerchief over her hair. She's dusting when she does it, knocks his door open, just dusting same as she does every week. She's not even thinking when it happens, just acting on instinct. She cleans her room and the hall and the hall closet and then bumps his door open like she'd done every Wednesday for most of her life.

Except...it's been half a year since she's come in this room.

She reaches in to grab the door and shut it when something sparkling on the desk catches her eye.

Taking a deep breath she steps in the room.

It's musty, she crinkles her nose at the smell, and full of dust and something musky...like cologne or...Delia smiles sadly. It's how Ash had always smelled: musky and full of sunshine and dirt.

Delia pulls the kerchief from her hair and wipes her eyes with it.

The room is a mess, clothes and books and papers and toys litter nearly every surface. Delia shakes her head and absentmindedly picks a shirt up from the floor. She nearly drops it in shock. It's silkier than anything Ash has ever worn, and smaller. Delia swallows hard and flips the tag. It's a woman's shirt, small...Misty's size.

Delia puts it on the bed and grabs another shirt from the floor, this one is Ash's at least. She picks it up and brings it to her nose, pulling it back in surprise when it smells like strawberries and salt. Misty again.

Delia sighs and stands up briskly. She may as well clean if she's in here.

Minutes later the floor is clear and Delia sighs. It's empty. Well, emptier.

There's a pair of jeans over a chair in the corner. Groaning, Delia makes her way to the chair. Ash had always been so bad at cleaning up and now...she grabs the jeans and a small box falls from them, clanging against the floor.

It snaps open, a small ring gleaming from the center.

Delia falls back on the bed, a sob climbing her throat.

* * *

It's the first week of September and Brock shivers despite the warmth that clings to the air. He closes the door to the Pewter gym, rubbing his arms, and walks his way to the house. He shouldn't be home. He's meant to be in his last year of his residency but after...he'd needed a break and Forrest had wanted some time to travel and it had all...made sense.

Brock sighs, kicking his shoes at the door. He takes a deep breath and walks into chaos. Two of his siblings are playing tag around the dining room table while another two scrub the table and two more are helping Dawn in the kitchen. May is sitting with the final two and Marill in the living room, reading a story full of bright colors and words.

Brock smiles. "How's dinner coming?" He asks Dawn.

She smiles back, "almost finished." She sings. His sister and brother, cooking with her, add their greetings. They're excited to have someone new to cook with and haven't questioned either Dawn or May staying with them: something Brock is glad for. He's not sure how he'd have answered. But he couldn't turn them away. They'd needed somewhere to be for a while and Brock hadn't exactly been looking forward to life with all of his siblings again and so it had just...worked.

Dinner is crazy, May feeds one of the babies while cutting up food for another and Dawn ducks flying food and Brock smiles to have them. Baths come after, a wild affair filled with Marill darting around kids in various stages of undress and water flooding the entire upstairs of the house. Dawn and May between them wrangle the kids and by midnight they are all asleep and Dawn and May and Brock are lying exhausted in the living room.

Brock takes one look at the girls, both drenched and covered in food and can't help but laugh. The girls follow suit, giggling until they can't breathe.

"Bed," Dawn huffs.

May agrees, nodding until she gets enough air to whisper "night, Brock." She and Dawn hug him and head upstairs, placing Marill in his arms as they go.

Brock sighs and turns on the TV. "Just you and me, huh kid?" he asks.

Marill cries, a weak trill that Brock knows is borne of exhaustion and loneliness.

"I know, baby." Brock whispers, finally settling on an infomercial.

Marill cries again and Brock bounces him up and down on his knees as Misty had done for most of the baby's life. The infomercial ends a new one starts selling some miracle soothing lotion for babies.

Brock sighs and waits while Marill cries.

One Am hits and Marill has cried himself to sleep, finally. Brock puts the baby pokémon down and glances at the stairs.

3

2

Dawn tiptoes from her room and sits beside Brock, tears fresh in her eyes.

"You okay?" he asks her.

She shakes her head and grabs the remote, wordlessly putting on some kids cartoon. Together they wait. The opening song is barely finished before May joins them, eyes red rimmed and food still caked in her hair.

"What's on?" she asks brightly.

Brock shrugs.

"Junk." Dawn says, leaning into Brock's side.

May smiles. "Cool." She sits on the other side of Brock and leans against him as well.

In Brock's lap, Marill stirs and wines; calming only when Dawn lays a hand on her head. It's not quite what the baby pokémon is used to, sleeping between Misty and Ash, but it's close and that's becoming enough.

* * *

Ash and Misty stare out at the ocean, eyes locked on a ball of glowing dust and lightning suspended just beyond shore. It's hot; August had burst with warm winds and scorching heat. But it's not just the end of summer, whatever they had gotten entangled in this time had brought with it heat and dust.

Ash swallows hard, turning from the sea. "You can go back." He whispers, hoarsely.

Misty laughs. "Even if I could-which, this prophecy mentions me, Mr. Pokémon Master-I wouldn't leave you."

Ash grins. "I know."

They're silent for a moment, eyes turned back towards the fight that waits just off shore.

"Hey." Ash says as the sky grows dark. "If we make it out of this, I've got a question I want to ask you."

"Yeah?" Misty asks. A cold wind passes over them and she shivers.

Ash nods. "Yeah." he replies.

"I think I might just have an answer to that question."

"Am I going to like the answer?" Ash whispers.

"Depends on the question." Misty replies.

Ash grins and holds out his hand. "You ready?"

Misty nods.


	8. Confessions

A/N: Regrets are for the weak…

Confessions

* * *

By the time he finds a Pokémon center, it's already dark and has been raining for hours. He'd given up any hope of being dry hours before, when the sky had first opened in a downpour in the middle of a battle. He'd called the fight, of course, and begun searching for cover but...he'd been drenched so quickly there was hardly a point in hurrying. And by himself, as he was, he hadn't really cared. He wasn't supposed to be alone, Brock and even Misty had been supposed to join him. But...it was just the Whirl Islands; a quick jaunt through familiar places before Brock had to go back to whatever 'adult' thing he was doing and Ash and Misty traveled on. It was the same ever since he'd won the Orange league; he'd run through the islands yearly on what amounted to a publicity tour that ended in him renewing his title before skipping over to the relatively close Whirl Islands for another go at the Whirl Cup. He'd thought, a lot, about giving it up and letting some other kid have the championship-the meaningless title from a not quite certified league-but in the end, he'd always returned. And the islands did tend towards rain in the afternoon, tropical islands that they were. It'd never bothered him before. 

Now though, dripping in the center lobby with Nurse Joy shooting him death glares while he waits for a chance to check in, Ash wishes he'd at least tried not to resemble a drowned rattata. Sighing, Ash pulls off his jacket and gingerly holds it under his arm. It drips steadily onto Pikachu who _chuu_ 's in annoyance at his feet.

"Sorry, buddy." Ash whispers, eliciting an annoyed _pika_ in response. "I said sorry." Ash hisses back. Pikachu's cheeks spark up, electricity arcing across his face, as though he's going to shock. Ash winces and tenses, screwing his eyes closed in wait of a jolt that never comes.

"Hello and welcome to the pokémon center," Nurse Joy cuts in, voice pleasant despite the annoyed grimace on her face. "You're out late, and caught without an umbrella too. Would you like to rest at the center tonight?"

Ash grins mareepishly, digging a wet trainer card out from a soaked wallet.

"Th-that trainer card…" Nurse Joy trails off, eyes opened wide in surprise. "You're Ash Ketchum?"

Ash blinks. "Yes?" he questions, reaching an arm back to scratch his head. "Have we met before?"

"No," Nurse Joy replies, opening a drawer in the desk, "Though I have heard about you from my sister in Celadon."

"Celadon?" Ash looks at Pikachu. "Arceus, buddy how long has it been since we were there?" Pikachu shrugs, replying with a non-committal _kaa_. "Right." Ash nods. "Years."

"We don't talk much." Nurse Joy vanishes for a moment beneath the desk. "But I do have something for you."

"Can I still get a room?" Ash asks, pitching himself onto his toes in an attempt to see over the desk.

Nurse Joy stands up before he catches a glimpse of anything beyond a computer keyboard, dusty with disuse. "Now where did I put that?" She asks quietly, nearly under her breath. "Oh wait," she dives once more, disappearing into her desk with a variety of muffled sounds issuing forth in her wake.

Ash leans forward, "what was that?"

"You are Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, right?" She asks

"The one and only." Ash replies.

"Then this," the nurse pops up once more, startling Pikachu who had jumped to the desk when she'd vanished, "is for you." She hands Ash a slim disk with the Kanto League insignia printed on it along with a room key. "That room has a view screen if you need it." The nurse smiles. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No."

"Then good night." Nurse Joy blinks and her smile falters. "Now hurry up and stop dripping in my lobby.

One hot shower and change of clothing later and Ash is finally feeling somewhat human once more.

Leaving the bathroom and drying his hair, he spares a glance over at Pikachu sleeping on the bed and grins. It had been a long day, he's almost surprised Pikachu had made it to the bed; days like this it's not unusual that he'd finish a shower and find Pikachu asleep just inside the room. Grinning still his eyes wander to the slim disk that Nurse Joy had handed him. His smile falters.

League.

It was from the League which meant…

Well…

Honestly, it could mean a lot of things. A new tournament, a regulation change or, Ash swallows, word from Misty.

But probably not, it's been months since he's heard from her...but...the Whirl Cup is tomorrow and she'd promised she'd be there to defend her title…

It's weird really, Ash still sometimes thinks that he'll turn around and Misty will be right there like she always has been but...it's been… months.

Still though, Ash supposes, no one can fault him for that thought. After all, aside from a brief stint when they'd been fourteen and the last…maybe year...they'd been together nearly every day since they'd been ten. It wasn't so much his journey as theirs. Or it had been until…

Misty had gotten a frantic call from her sisters, again, and just like when they'd been fourteen, she'd had to go back. But this time? This time she'd promised it would only be for a month; she'd find out what was wrong and then close the gym if she had to.

Except…

Except a month later and she's calling him to let him know that it's not her sisters that have gotten her gym closed, it's the League. And Ash, they want her for the Elite Four. It's an amazing opportunity but she has to stay in Kanto for six months of training. No big deal, he tells her, they'll meet again when she's done and besides they'd been apart before. They'll just have to email and text and video chat. Except they can't, Misty tells him, The League demands six months of no contact with anyone outside of themselves. But it's only six months.

Six months that turns into seven and then eight and then nine with Ash finishing his League without Misty by his side (it's a bad finish too, not even to the semi-finals which Ash hasn't done...ever).

And then ten months and he gets an email telling him that she'll meet him in the Orange Islands for his annual tour.

And then he's there and it's been eleven months and she's nowhere to be found.

One year later and she swears she'll meet him for the Whirl Cup in a quick text that almost has him fall off of the Rhyhorn he's riding. But she swears she'll defend her title, after all she's a water master: can't let a Pokémon Master wanna-be show her up.

And now, the day before the match: a disk from The League.

Sighing, Ash spares one more glance towards Pikachu who has flipped on his back and is now snoring lightly, foot twitching in time to his breaths, before pushing the button on the room's small vidscreen. It flares to life in a burst of light and static that fades to dark as the disk loads. Ash grabs his towel and begins drying his hair as the blurred image resolves into the hazy outline of a person. The screen is fairly dark, all Ash can make out is what might be a shock of red hair.

He swallows hard.

Misty.

Long time no see.

"Long time no see." Misty calls out from the screen.

Ash bites back a laugh. After a year they're still in each other's heads. Which is… nice? He guesses. It's still weird that she's not there, that she hadn't been waiting to slip past him the second he'd gotten out of the shower with some groan about him taking longer than her sisters, really Ketchum is he sure he doesn't want to be called Ashley. Or that she's not fast asleep with Pikachu and Marill, curled up atop the blankets because she'd been too tired even to slip between them.

It's still weird even after a year without her, but…it's strange. They've been maybe a year without talking, and they're still doing that.

It's nice though too, almost as if they haven't been apart.

Although, if Ash really thought about it, it might not mean anything. They'd always, always, been surprisingly good and knowing what the other was thinking, even when they'd been kids and not sure whether they'd actually come to be friends. They'd gotten better over the years though, or worse maybe. When they'd been kids it hadn't been unusual for one to start a sentence and the other to finish it, but lately, before Misty had left, they'd reached….accusations of psychic talent levels of sharing thoughts. Brock especially, during the few times they'd managed to call him, had accused them of planning conversations beforehand. Once he'd even demanded that only one of them talk because so many of his questions were answered and stories completed in stereo.

Ash smiles again and then blinks. Arceus, had Misty been talking that whole time?

"Arceus, Ketchum." The girls on the screen says, silhouette placing her head on her hand. "I've been talking for the last five minutes and you haven't heard a word of it, have you?"

Ash flushes and reaches forward to rewind the tape.

"Oh well," Misty says, stopping him mid motion. "At least its video and you can watch the bits you missed. I wish it was live though...I'd have liked to see you again before…" She swallows hard, and reaches forward to grab something off-screen, knocking something else over in the process. It clatters over wetly. "Damn." Misty curses. There's a click and the lights flood on. Misty blinks on screen but in his room, Ash gasps loudly enough that Pikachu startles.

"Mist," Ash murmurs. He'd only glimpsed her before she'd ducked off-screen, rag in hand; probably cleaning up whatever mess she'd made. But that glimpse had been alarming. She'd been pale, paler than usually, with deep circles beneath her eyes. She'd had a gash on her cheek with the skin wrinkled and shiny. There'd been once when they'd been in Johto that Ash had taken a particularly bad fall and Brock had put some sort of clear bandage over a cut on Ash's hand. The skin under it had puckered like that, wrinkled and wrong while it healed. Her hair is cut oddly too, longer on the side of her face opposite the cut like something has sliced it weirdly. And her clothes: Ash would be lying if he thought he'd understood Misty's sense of fashion but she had been in all black with a belt of blacked pokeballs across her chest.

Someone gruffly calls "Waterflower?" from somewhere past her room and Ash can just barely hear her responding that she's ok, just clumsy before she sits back up to the screen, a broken glass in her hand. She sets it out of view and settles back down, her face reflecting in her eyes. She hisses, a low slow sound rushing between her lips.

"Right, so...that's why I had the lights off…" She smiles then, a sad smile that seems to be mocking herself as much as anything else. "The League, Ash, it is...so much more than we ever thought...it does...so much more than we ever… I can't even say...I can't even legally say…" She trails off again and swallows hard. "Arceus, why is this so hard? I've recorded these so many times in the last few months but...I...I have a bad feeling this time you know? I think you're going to get this one…"

Ash groans, she's not making any sense.

"I'm not making any sense, am I?" Misty sighs.

Ash bites back another laugh, they probably don't even need to talk to each other to have a conversation.

"Well, maybe if you'd been listening before…."

Ash groans again and reaches forward to rewind.

"But no, I still wasn't making sense there." She takes a deep breath and looks, for the first time, directly into the screen. "Hey, Ash, "she says sweetly, "If you're watching this then I've done something incredibly stupid, and dangerous, but also necessary."

She laughs then, a shocking and bitter sound that startles Ash.

"Either that or I'm sitting beside you and decided to show you this video in which case: hi, Misty. You still have time to turn this off, you know?"

Ash fights not to look beside him at what he knows is empty space.

"I have a feeling I'm not there though." The Misty on the screen says. "That's ok though...I," She swallows hard and looks away from the screen for a moment. "I," she swallows again, licking her lips. "..." and takes a deep breath.

For a moment there's silence and Ash finds himself leaning closer to the screen, he's startled back when she laughs suddenly. It's not a pleasant sound, it's harsh and sad and bitter all at once in a way that makes Ash want to take another shower.

"I just," Misty reaches up to her face, fiercely wiping away a tear Ash hadn't seen. "I always thought we'd have more time, you know?"

Ash nods despite the fact that he knows Misty can't see him.

"There's so much that we should have, that I thought we'd get to, see together and do together. So much I thought we'd get a chance to…" She flushes. "-be together…"

Alone in his room, only Pikachu beside him, Ash blushes at her words and looks around, half expecting Brock to burst out of somewhere exclaiming that he knew it all along. Brock doesn't break out of anywhere, though. Pikachu rolls over in his sleep. Ash breathes out a shaky sigh, one almost in time with a sigh unleashed by Misty on the screen.

"I just thought… there's so much I thought we'd have time to say to each other." She scoffs. "Time's a jerk though."

She grimaces angrily and Ash bites back a laugh at the unbidden image in his mind of her, at eleven, trying to go after the vague concept of time with a mallet and her Gyarados. Though she hadn't had Gyarados at eleven. And, if he's honest, he doesn't really think of either of them as eleven any more.

"Look, I don't have much time for this left and...I'm an idiot leaving yours to last because there is just so much…" She takes a deep breath. "I'm still kind of just ranting here, huh?" She smiles. "So...The League, right? They do so much more—protect so much more—than we ever knew—and you really have to hurry up and become a Pokémon Master Mr. Wannabe, by the way, because I am sick of going into these places without you at my back."

Ash blinks, surprised at the compliment.

Misty's smile fades. "Though, I guess that won't matter now…" She takes a deep breath. "So...the League, when we go out and do...this...we get a chance to record videos for our family and friends which will get sent out before the news can report, you know? You all get a chance to hear from us first. So...there won't have been a news story yet and I can't tell you when it will air. We, all of us- elite four and champion—get to send as many of these videos as we want. I mean mine alone are all over Kanto and Johto and Hoenn and even Sinnoh. Arceus I've sent...well," she holds up her fingers and begins ticking them off with names. "One to you, your mom, my sisters, Brock, Tracey...Mew, even May and Dawn. So...seven?" She smiles, a sad smile that is filled with teasing and something heavier that sinks through the joy. "Though...with your travel schedule, Ketchum, I wouldn't be surprised if you were the last."

Ash swallows hard. "But wouldn't Brock have…" he starts, trailing off as he remembers that this is Misty in a recording and not speaking to him live.

"But just in case you're not the last, you can't tell the rest. They should get the chance to hear my...me….for themselves…" She swallows. "Though if you do get this it doesn't mean that I'm...I might still get out of this...you know? They'll send it if they don't hear from us for three days but...that means hardly anything, right? I mean...that whole ordeal on Shamouti took at least four. " She smiles again, as though she can take some of the sting from her words but it barely reaches the corners of her mouth, much less her eyes. She sighs and looks back down, away from the screen. "I don't really have anything to give you. My pokémon will all be with me, except of course Marill but Tracey's had her for a while...and if they do find my pokémon then they'll go to my sisters. Except...could you...if that happens...take Psyduck? I, for some reason, can't imagine any of my sisters putting up with his...him…"

Ash nods emphatically, a tear rolling down his cheek. "Of course, Mist." He whispers.

On screen she nods and wipes at a tear of her own. "Oh and if, umm, Togepi—Togetic—or, Arceus he's probably a togekiss by now—ever comes back….let him know? Though...I have a feeling he will already...and tell Pikachu that I...umm" She swallows again and licks her lips. "I..." She takes a deep breath. "To…" she shakes her head, tears freely slipping down her chin. "This is dumb, this is so dumb...I can't" she leans forward and the video cuts off, abruptly flaring to black.

Ash take a deep breath and lets it out slowly, the dark screen washing over him. The disk is still playing but there doesn't seem to be anything else on it. Just black screen and...it flares back suddenly, the screen resolving to another image of Misty, crouched on the floor of what might once have been a research lab. It seems like it's later, much later. Her eyes are ringed in dark circles and her skin is almost white pale. She has a smudge of dirt under one cheek and a cut down her chin and another almost across her left eye.

"I haven't got much time. " She hisses to the screen. "But I had to…" she eases herself to sitting, moving the camera with her. "Look Ash, here's the thing...we send these so there are no regrets and I…" She takes a deep breath. "You need to understand this so I am just going to say it because I may not get this chance again. I love you. And it's totally different then the way I love Brock or Tracey or my sisters, OK? You idiot. I love you, and have since we were idiot kids and I wish we had the time to do something about the earthquake admission but I am pretty sure that I am not coming back from this one so…" She takes a deep breath and the room rumbles. "Look, I will come back from this one, OK? It's a promise. And when I do….just….I have a feeling we'll have a lot to talk about. See you on the other side, Mr. Pokémon Master." She winks and the video cuts out, fades to black and clicks off.

Ash takes a deep breath and, blinking into the dark, quietly turns to the news.


End file.
